Our Stories Create Community

"We're wired for story. In a culture of scarcity and perfectionism, there's a surprisingly simple reason we want to own, integrate, and share our stories of struggle. We do this because we feel the most alive when we're connecting with others and being brave with our stories - it's in our biology." —Brene Brown

April has been a whirlwind, full of spring break, celebrations with extended family, the April National Women's Impact Leadership Institute (NWILI) session, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference, and a weekend of knitting. So many experiences, so many connections each changing me and becoming part of who I am now. Throughout this busy month full of adventures, the key ingredient for me was the stories I heard and told along with the people who shared and listened. These stories create community, they are the threads that we gather and weave together. They become the fabric of who we are and who we are becoming.

Sharing my story is so simple and yet not always easy, especially when I consider sharing a story that didn't turn out quite "right" or may open me up to criticism. I have an old habit of confusing fitting in with belonging. And being disapproved of or criticized is a sure way for me to feel left out.

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