Guest blogger, Callie B. Elwayns, has taken on brave new work over the past few years. She tells her remarkable story in the post Your Story Matters. In this post Callie reminds us of the potential of telling our true-life stories, for ourselves, and for our communities. As she says ‘when you know your story – you know your value in your bones’.
Callie writes….Over the years I have had the privilege of curating hundreds of accomplished women onto the stage with their powerful true-life stories of courage, vulnerability, and strength.
I can say with confidence that the process of sourcing, crafting and sharing our personal stories is profoundly healing and transformative.
It is a deeply embodied process of acknowledging and releasing the old somatic patterns, hidden traumas and outdated narratives that limit our potential. Part of letting go of the old form is a deep acknowledgment of the role it played in keeping us safe. This helps it to soften and creates more space for the new story to emerge as more possibility can begin to show itself. As we surrender what is blocking our truest expression, we become deeply present and comfortable in our own skin.
Our divine inner nature, which is ever present, naturally begins to shine forth. We discover that what begins to come through is not surprising to us, but somehow deeply familiar. We share our gifts more authentically, free of the shame, fear and doubt that once held us back.
“When you know your story – You know your value in your bones.”
It’s liberating to realize that comparison is not relevant when we stand in sovereignty of our personal story.
The Power of Our Personal Stories
From a larger perspective, our personal stories have the power to bring us together and connect us to our shared humanity in these polarizing times.
That’s because the more personal our story is, the more universal it is.
Or in other words, at a deeply personal level we are more alike than different. Our personal stories reach down through the divisiveness to the heart of what matters. Through our stories we experience and feel ourselves, the other, and the world in deeply personal yet ever new ways. It is the distinction between a soap box that talks at you and an immersive experience of shared meaning.
Now is the time to choose our own story, to design a future guided by a higher vision.
What if we could choose a story that transcends our individual and collective histories? A story that releases old traumas and frees us from embodied patterns of blame and shame that hold us back from all we can be?
Are we willing to step into radical self-responsibility for our expression in the world, and its impact on ourselves and others? Story transforms an everyday leader into a powerfully present leader that others want to follow, by creating a space for vulnerability and human connection.
Everyone has a story. What’s yours?
Callie B. Elwayns offers life changing programs and mentorship, to catapult women into bold new levels of leadership presence, visibility, career and business success. Her proprietary, Somatic Transformational Story Method ™ is a powerful step by step process rooted in years of applied research as a trauma informed somatic movement educator. It builds on her journey from the street as a homeless youth, to over two decades of business leadership success at the forefront of public and private companies and includes her skills as a powerful speaker, stage performer, transformational coach and mentor.
The BOLD & VISIBLE MONOLOGUES is a sold-out performance where women step forward to unleash their voice, embody their stories and ignite their mission in the world.
It’s Time to Get Visible! (Facebook)
More posts to check out:
Showing up and Being Seen can be challenging. Lillas told her personal story Living in the Mystery as part of the Bold and Visible Monologues. It was a bold step for her. More recently she talked about When a Leader Experiences a Personal Crisis.
Linda explored Courage to Be Me and shared a personal story 1969 and I am Having a Baby . Lillas shared about Making Your Leadership Visible.
Morning Pages can help us revisit our life for stories and digging into the Enneagram can help us rewrite them. Harvesting Our Souls is a great way for gathering.
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