We Need New Stories!

by | Jun 26, 2022 | Clarity, Moving Forward

New Stories of Working TogetherWe need new stories of what is possible for quality of life and strength of community. I have had enough of negative, circular, external stories bombarding our minds, hurting our hearts, and draining our spirits.

Last week I visited with a friend for whom I have deep respect and affection. We have different views of life and society; yet we seek to find common ground.

It was hopeless. The influence of knee-jerk responses and closed-down perspectives left us talking in circles with irritation growing. Because of our mutual respect, we stopped talking about the outside world and moved on to personal happenings. The relationship is fine.

However, I was depressed for the next 24 hours, wondering how I could have lifted our conversation. How could two intelligent, decent and caring people be spending a beautiful sunny afternoon repeating the hateful, ignorant ramblings of popular media?

Eventually I realized that the only way to win in this mess is not to play. It’s their game, whoever ‘they’ are. The conflict we see in media and entertainment does not really reflect our daily lives. It is not who we are, and it is not designed to help us live better lives and create strong, thriving communities.

Now more than ever we need new stories of how individuals can work together as partners with all of Life to create communities of health, vitality, and prosperity. These are the creative, fun explorations we need to be having with one another. This is the challenge of lifting our thinking and creating above the levels at which these problems were created. It is the demand of our times.

People love to say that things have to be the way they are. Many truly believe the systems we have now are the only options for society; you have to pick one and fight for it.  And yet, we have seen extraordinary changes over the last 65 years in technology and social norms.

We have experienced significant changes, which would have been unthinkable to most people in the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80s’. So then, are not many more changes of great magnitude possible including a shift in human perception? Can more of us not understand that we are all connected and must work together toward a common good? That we are each enriched, as others are enriched as human beings? That what we create and build can be stronger if aligned with the natural world as a partner?

Change happens. So why not start writing, telling, sharing, creating, and imagining new stories of human development and societal structures that are positive, nourishing, equitable, and filled with purpose? It is said that if we can conceive something, we can achieve it. We better get started visualizing a better way to be in society together. A common vision is a powerful attractor and allows each of us to make choices every day that move us toward that vision.

The Power Peers Network was formed to provide a forum for people to come together to imagine new stories of how we can be in the world. It is my joy to facilitate these conversations as participants explore their personal ideas of what could be better. We support one another in making choices – small, daily choices of how to react to old paradigms and major life choices related to work and community.

To kick-start some thoughts on what a new story could look like, I present the following description of a society written by Doris Lessing in The Sirian Experiments.

“He spoke of places “beyond the waters” where an advanced medicine was used, based on local balances and earth forces, on the rhythms of the stars, on the disposition of exactly placed and planned buildings, and on the use of plants. This “medicine” was more than curative or preventive: health was considered as a result and an expression of the exact sciences, used by a whole society, taught to every individual in the society. Health was being in balance with the natural forces of the Galaxy.

They did not hear. They could not hear. I have never before seen so clearly and simply illustrated that law of development that makes a certain stage of growth impossible to an individual, a people, a planet: first, they have to hear. They have to be able to take in what they are being offered.

There were a few who did absorb the intuition that there was something here they could learn, and they came to him secretly. He instructed them as far as he could.”

We can change for the better. We can imagine new stories and build stronger communities from these ideas. Humanity as a whole will evolve; it is just a matter of whether you choose to begin now to move the momentum in a positive direction.

Please contact me if you would like to participate in the Power Peers Network to explore a new story. It is our pleasure to help participants grow stronger in their ability to discern better choices and ideas. Also, please share your thoughts and ideas about why we need new stories and what those new stories could be in the Comments below.

Many thanks for all you do.

Laura Piening

Laura Piening

For nearly thirty years, Laura has worked with businesses, nonprofits and individuals to create clarity of meaning, purpose and organization.

 Our services help leaders to grow both personally and professionally, in order to build strong, agile organizations and communities.

Read more about Creating Clarity Now and the Power Peers Network.

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