The Stories We Carry

Earlier this month, I attended a Writer’s Retreat. I had never attended this type of retreat, or honestly any retreat that spanned more than a few hours. Author, publisher, and retreat leader Jennifer Grace invited four women into her home, where we spent a long weekend eating, drinking, writing, and sharing our work with new friends.

I justified the expense of the retreat as a birthday gift to myself. But I also knew I needed guidance, motivation, and inspiration for the book I want to write.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I know is it was worth every penny and every moment invested in the experience.

Each of us arrived with a very different book inside us. We also arrived carrying our own versions of trauma and a desire to help ourselves and others through our words, thoughts, and experiences.

Every one of us cried, multiple times, as we read our newly created words out loud.

Every one of us found creative ways to respond to the writing prompts we selected, sometimes because we felt drawn to a particular image or object, and other times by blindly choosing a card and discovering where it led.

We entered the retreat as writers, but we left feeling more like authors, learning and honing our craft.

Jennifer loaned me one of her favorite books for the weekend, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. I only had time to read the foreword, but I was hooked enough to order a copy from Amazon. It was delivered before I arrived home on Sunday.

I finished the book within a week, and one idea stayed with me: writers write even when they are not writing. In other words, we find inspiration everywhere around us.

I realized I’ve been doing that for years.

Now, I feel inspired to capture those thoughts and stories as they happen instead of relying on memories from years or decades ago.

A simple photograph, a necklace charm, or a child’s toy can inspire an entire story.

When we weave those stories together, we create the book of our lives. And often, we don’t realize the lessons we’ve learned might help someone else navigate a challenge of their own.

Recently, the leader of a monthly networking session I attend asked everyone to select a toy from a table. We weren’t told why. The only instruction was to choose the one we felt drawn to.

There were yo-yos, board games, musical instruments, Matchbox cars, and more.

I selected the car.

The story I shared ended up being more about my husband than me. He loves cars.

Race cars, old cars, toy cars. He collects Matchbox cars. I don’t know if the little car I selected reminded me of one he would like, but I enjoy trying to find ones he might appreciate.

Years ago, he gave me a T-shirt that said “Tolerates Cars” in glitter, of course, because I am definitely not a car person. But I respect how much he loves them.

So, I watch races with him, attend car shows with him, and support his dream of rebuilding an old car we bought a few years ago.

These are the stories of our lives.

If someone handed you a random object or showed you a photograph that sparked a memory, would you stop and reflect on the story behind it? Or would you brush past it and continue with your day?

I encourage you to pause.

Maybe even take the time to write down the thoughts and emotions that surface as the memory plays through your mind like an old 8mm movie reel. Try to remember the sounds, the smells, maybe even the taste connected to that moment.

And if the memory might help someone else, share it.

Speak it out loud. Include it in a presentation. Call the person connected to the memory and let them know you’re thinking about them.

You never know how much that memory or story may matter in someone else’s life.

And you never know how much your willingness to be vulnerable might help a friend who needs it most.

---

Enjoyed this week’s blog? I share reflections on mindset, leadership, and clarity each week in my newsletter. 👉 Subscribe here to have it delivered straight to your inbox.

My new podcast, DunnWise Perspectives: Stories of Resilience and Shifting Mindsets, is now live. I’d love for you to take a listen.

If you’re looking for clarity in your business or career, you can reach me at doris@dunnwise.com, via DM, or at dunnwise.com.