“‘Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Soren Kierkergaard*
I learned a powerful lesson about twenty-five years ago when I climbed Mt. Ixtaccihuatl in Mexico. The guides brought along a roll of crepe paper – lightweight, colorful, and paper, not plastic. At every decision point they tied a small bit of crepe paper to a tree branch or stick.
When I asked for more detail about route-finding, a guide told me that when we make the choices about which fork to take, we often forget to turn around and look at what it will look like coming back. He pointed out that the light, the contrast with the surroundings, the angle, it all looks different on the return. What we think is memorable going one way looks completely different when we turn around.
This rings true for me in life as well. I’m often so focused on the route ahead that I forget to take a moment to reflect on what I’ve learned. When I do pause, I find that looking back at the choices I’ve made or the a-ha moments that have mattered help me to take them in more deeply.
So in this episode of How to Share, we have a playlist of some of the incredible insights that have been shared in the last sixteen episodes. The lineup of amazing guests have taught us that:
- Authenticity matters: In leadership, outlook, communication and receiving, it’ll ring false if we don’t show up as ourselves.
- Slow down and celebrate the wins: Whether you are taking on a big task, changing the world one letter at a time, or preparing for a significant test, slowing our roll to remember our successes provides fuel for the next leg.
- Storytelling is vital: Stories move us. One thru-line from all our successful guests is that being able to passionately pitch a story or idea leads to inspiration, openness, and movement.
These clips remind us that to collaborate we need to know ourselves, remember who we are talking to, and to convince anyone including ourselves, we need to be able to tell a passionate story
Takeaways
- Reflecting on past choices enhances our understanding of the present.
- Vulnerability is essential for effective leadership and collaboration.
- Failures should be viewed as learning opportunities, not setbacks.
- Audience awareness is crucial in effective communication.
- When sharing life’s challenges, it’s okay to remember the story is about the person with the challenge.
- Digital security is important in managing personal information.
- Humor can bridge gaps in communication and foster connection.
- Experiencing life at a slower pace allows for deeper connections.
- Optimism can blind us to potential risks and challenges.
- Seeing the risks can help you couch the negative into a better action plan
- Reducing the friction between ambition and achievement and remembering your successes
- Cynicism can prevent us from taking action and engaging in meaningful change.
* I also love the Steve Jobs variation on this quote: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.“
Here’s a clip from this compendium of insight:
Here are some ways you can listen and watch this packed-with-goodness episode:
- The podcast player embedded below
- Click this link to watch in a browser: How to Share Recaps
- Subscribe to How To Share on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribing to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@howtosharepodcast
Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.
How Writing Helps Us Survive Chronic Illness and Loss – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.
- How Writing Helps Us Survive Chronic Illness and Loss
- Near Death, Deep Faith, New Life | Liza Anderson’s Extraordinary Story
- Encouraging Effort, Not Outcome: The Secret to Helping People Keep Trying
- How to Celebrate the Try
- How to Reclaim Fun in Adult Life; Michael Rucker, PhD on Joy, Burnout, and The Fun Habit
Links for this podcast:
Brian Hannon’s blog: Writing from the Heart with Brian
Vicki Atkinson’s blog: Victoria Ponders
Michelle Oram’s blog: Boomer Eco Crusader
Finding Happy by Peter Samuelson
Mark Petruska’s blog: Mark My Words
Rise Above the Script by Albert Bramante
(featured photo from Pexels)
Surprised By Joy 