Your story is true

Once again, I am reminded about the power of stories and how much telling them can change the world.

When you do the work I do, it is easy to get lost in intentionally picking the words, creating nuance and throwing away ingenuity when you tell a story. You don't know it, but you start to write stories that should exist; not the ones that you believe.

Stories are an art and telling them is a religion.

There is no one way to write a story. The homeless orphan — who lived on the streets before getting an opportunity at life — will write his story different from you — who, maybe, had a complex extended family.

Do you know what makes stories cool? It is the fact that someone lived them. Someone believed them. Someone owns them. Stories are cool because they're the lived expressions of at least one man.

Today, everyone is concerned with narratives.

What should I say to make John Doe think of me this way. That is what storytelling has become — a relentless effort at influencing someone else's decisions. We weave and weave until we no longer find ourselves in the words we use to paint a picture.

By themselves, narratives are not a bad thing — especially when they're built on stories. But like everything, it can be misused and appropriated to fit a goal. And it works! People believe, connect and will die for a well crafted narrative.

It should get you thinking.

If the world will die for something that isn't even real, what do you think will happen if they see something real?

My letters to you, Praise, are bits and pieces of my story. One issue, I'm a god; the next, I'm a ghost. It is interesting how much you learn about yourself when you tell your own story.

Stories set the world ablaze, irrevocably changing it beyond undo — and the courage to tell them is the spark.

Every word is a candle. Every sentence is a lamp. You will never fully understand someone else's life but you can tell them yours; and help them tell theirs. Stories are fulfilling even when it is hard to write them. Sometimes, you're not the hero in your scene; you could be the villain, an extra or a spectator.

Think about the worst things in history. Now, think about the best things in history. People died. People survived. Terrible stories and beautiful stories sitting side by side. Constantine's crusade is lauded as one of the conquests of Christianity, yet the stories of the towns he raided see the same event as different.

And now, more than a century after, these stories remain etched forever in our minds — both ringing true.

I saw a movie today. The Freedom Writers (2007).

It speaks of a teacher, Erin Gruwell, who taught students in high school at the height of gun violence in America during the nineties. Her class was filled with gang members of all races — with almost all of them getting shot at, at least one time.

She started change by giving them the opportunity to tell their stories. A journal.

The movie was based on real life events; and it taught me that, at the height of everything, stories outlive us (and whatever problems we might be facing at the time).

I agree.

It is better to actually live, and never die.

But even in a world where eternity exists, stories still outlive you. If not in terms of time, stories will get to places you can only dream of.

Today is a random Thursday. You can decide to live out a narrative — a lie you've probably told yourself over and over and over again. Or you can decide to live you.

Stories, when done right, are true. They provide a candle to search yourself. Better than mirrors, they show you who you are, how you think about yourself, the mistakes you've made, and the regrets you've had.

With stories, you can dive right into a pond of your own life. You can sew your fabric; decide your fate; take turns; start all over.

More importantly, with stories, you find yourself.

PS:

My letters will not come daily as previously promised anymore. It was a great start, but I find it convenient to write from the heart — and I don't get the time to do so everyday.

But I'll start to do something personal. A journal. I hope you give it a try too.

Ciao.

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