The Power of Sharing Our Stories

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I am passionate about the power of telling our stories, and I have lived that passion through my business, One Thousand Trees, for the past sixteen years. In October 2010, I published the first issue of an online monthly magazine titled One Thousand Trees. (At the time, I thought that’s “all” that my company was meant to be, but of course time proved me wrong!) Little did I know that this simple gesture of giving back would open the floodgates of self-expression, for me and for so many others.

Surrounding my subdivision is a trail through the woods, and I walk my dog on this trail every morning and evening. It is during those walks that most of my ideas come to me. And so it was, on one of these walks about five years ago, that I was thinking about the amazing articles that had been submitted for my magazine during its first year of publication. “Hmmm,” I thought, “maybe I should put a book together.” And so, the first anthology of women’s empowerment stories (Sharing: our stories, our selves, our success) was born. In that anthology, 24 women from across Canada, the United States and overseas told their personal stories of hope, courage, and triumph over adversity. I was amazed at the reaction, from both the writers and the readers of those stories.

I’ve come to realize that our experiences, our stories, are a map for expansion and growth.

By sharing our journey we can provide insights, offering hope and healing for others along the way.

Franziska Boon – Melbourne, Australia

A male friend, after reading a couple of the stories in that volume, suggested that I do a men’s volume. “Really?” I asked him.

“Well,” he replied, “the stories might have a different flavour than the women’s, but I think there’s a need for this.”

I had never thought of doing a men’s book, but was open to the possibility. “Are you going to write for me?” I asked my friend, telling myself that his answer would determine if I’d go ahead or not.

His answer was yes, and the first men’s volume was published in 2014.

Publishing these anthologies was an amazing experience. Among many other things, I learned about what I believe to be the fundamental difference between men and women today. The majority of the women who wrote for me indicated that the gift for them was the platform to tell their stories. The men, on the other hand, were grateful for the opportunity to be vulnerable.

I am very grateful for your book because it has offered men a place to share their personal stories

with the greater community. This is a rare offer and one that I hope continues to grow around the globe

so that more and more people can see that men are heart centred beings too and can be vulnerable.

 This is a new story about men.

Grant Waldman – Duncan, British Columbia

After the first volume of Sharing was published, I started hosting Sharing Evenings, in which authors from the Sharing anthologies read excerpts from their stories, and answered questions from the audience.

During one of those evenings, I witnessed a very powerful illustration of just how important, and empowering, that kind of sharing is.

Just before the evening was about to start, a man quietly slipped into the room, and sat by himself in the back row. Eyes

darting back and forth, he made no eye contact with anyone. From his slightly dishevelled appearance, and obvious

discomfort, I sensed immediately that this was a man who had experienced a difficult life.

Throughout the readings from the first two authors, he watched and listened intently. When the second author finished, he spoke. He talked of seeing people gunned down, and other atrocities he had witnessed, yet with an eloquence that I have rarely witnessed. “After listening to your stories,” he said, “I feel hope, for the first time in my life.”

Tears filled my eyes, as they did many others in the room. The power and the positive, uplifting energy in that room was

palpable.

We never know how sharing our stories can connect us with another, and bring light to darkness, and hope where there was only hopelessness.

Not only will this blog be a platform for me to share whatever ponderings I have, it will also provide an opportunity for others to do the same. I hear from many people with impactful stories to share. Some of them have published books with me, but many have not. And I started to realize that these stories need to be shared.

If you’re interested in submitting a (true) story for consideration, please email me at lisa@onethousandtrees.com. 

Topics can include:

·        something you are doing (volunteer or paid work) that feeds your soul

·        a challenge or adversity you have overcome, and how you overcame it

·        something inspirational that you’ve experienced, that could provide hope to others

·        something you’ve thought about, that might cause others to think about it too

Let’s share our stories and speak our truth, and help make this world a better place!