Tag: storytelling

Why We Remember Stories More than Advice

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“Just because they are a story doesn’t mean they’re not real.” – H.M. Bouwman

My dad used to tell the story of the bully who used to make him give him a piggy back home from school in 6th grade. One day my dad had enough. As he was carrying him, he leaned his head down and flipped him over his back. The bully never asked for a ride again.

I can’t think of any specific words or phrases my gentle dad taught me about standing up for myself or setting boundaries – but I do remember that story. And research shows that when we become immersed in a story, it shapes attention, persuasion and emotion. Which is why it sticks.

So, what makes a story truly relatable?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I explore how the smallest moments in life can become the most powerful stories — from a beloved Seattle raccoon named Jimothy to a little boy celebrating soccer goals with his grandmother.

Through humor, heart, and the idea of narrative transportation, this episode looks at why specific, human stories help us feel seen, connected, and inspired to keep trying.

Key takeaways:

  • Relatable stories often begin with small, specific moments rather than big life lessons.
  • Details help listeners see, feel, and remember a story.
  • Everyday stories can reveal courage, connection, confidence, and support.
  • The most powerful stories do not need to be perfect — they need to be honest and human.
  • Living The Life of Try means celebrating small wins, showing up for each other, and trying again from wherever we are.

If you’ve ever wondered how to tell better stories about everyday life, how to make your experiences more meaningful, or why small moments can carry big emotional truth, this episode is for you.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

How To Tell Relatable Stories transcript

Storytelling and Narrative Persuasion from Green and Brock

 Other episodes you might enjoy

➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience Video Link: https://youtu.be/xw1IpgL4uhg

➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery Video Link: https://youtu.be/tR-EP6D0Q1E

➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore Video Link: https://youtu.be/XzUMCHy3zuU

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Effort Keeps You Eligible for Opportunity

Posted in thelifeoftry, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , 48 Comments

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

Golf is the sport that proves that I love my family. That is to say, it’s not my favorite sport but I’ll play if my people want to. So the other day I was playing with my almost seven-year-old son.

We were at a local city-run pitch and putt course where we can play nine par three holes for $12. I stepped up to the tee on the eighth hole, swung hard, and…completely and embarrassingly missed the ball. After a moment to regain my balance and composure, I swung again. It was my best hit of the round. The ball landed two feet from the hole and I got a birdie.

It made me laugh, and it also brought me back to a question I’ve been sitting with. What if coming in second, or a getting a second chance, is not failure but preparation?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I explore the hidden power of effort, persistence, and staying ready when life does not put you out front.

Through a business lesson about losing a big opportunity, Nathan Martin’s dramatic 2026 LA Marathon finish (thanks to Brian from Writing From the Heart with Brian), and the long-build success story of Dutch Bros Coffee, this episode is a reminder that effort keeps you eligible for the opening when it appears.

Key Takeaways:

  • Second place is not always failure; sometimes it is the place where patience, preparation, and readiness are built.
  • Effort keeps you eligible for opportunity, even when you are not out front or visible to everyone else.
  • Staying in the race matters because the opening often appears after most people have already slowed down or stopped trying.
  • A disappointing loss can still position you for a future win if you keep showing up with humility and persistence.
  • Nathan Martin’s dramatic LA Marathon finish is a reminder that you do not have to be in the picture early to have a meaningful finish.
  • Long-term success, like the Dutch Bros story, is often built through years of unseen work, reinvention, and consistent effort.

If you are learning how to keep going, build resilience, try again after disappointment, or trust the unseen work behind personal growth, this episode will encourage you to stay in position, keep showing up, and keep trying.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

Why Second Place Might be Preparation, Not Failure transcript

➡️Brian Hannon’s post ⁠It’s a Sprint to the Finish and the Winner Is… ⁠

🎥  Other episodes you might enjoy

➡️ ⁠Encourage Effort, Not Results | How to Build Resilience and Confidence⁠

➡️ ⁠The Courage to Try Something New with Lindsey Goldstein⁠

➡️ ⁠How to Write the Book You’ve Been Dreaming About with Dr. Vicki Atkinson

(featured photo from Pexels)

Weaving Our Tapestries of Connection

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“Relations are like electric currents. Wrong connections will give you shocks throughout your life. But the right ones light up your life. ” – unknown

I didn’t realize that I was pulling a loose thread in my life until we landed in France on our recent trip. But I teared up when I was explaining to our friends there that I felt compelled to visit them so that Miss O could know a little bit about what their son’s life was in France. I continued on to say that I believed that it would be easier for their son to come home to start middle school if at least one other friend had seen where he’d been.

Miss O and their older son had been in every class together from ages three through seven when the family moved to France. And then we saw them every summer when they’d come to visit so Mr. D got to know their younger son too.

I didn’t take me long to puzzle out my tears. When my family moved back from the Philippines to the States I was almost seven-years-old. It wasn’t long into trying to make friends at Jefferson Elementary when I heard kids teasingly jeer, “In the Philippines…” I must have started many sentences that way and it got old – for them and for me. Because the two lives were so different.

I didn’t know it was a loose thread all these years later. But I had an inexplicable certainty that I needed to take my family to France to build a bridge for these kids. If my kids could at least see a bit of where these boys had spent four years, perhaps their shift back to school in Seattle could be a bit more integrated.

The parents of these boys told me that one of their sons’ teachers in France counseled them not to talk about their French experience at all with new friends. I understand that advice but also know that we suffer a cramping of spirit when we bottle ourselves up like that.

Then we traveled on from France to our friends in England. Five years ago, this English family moved from London to our street in the States. Our kids went to school together and traveled back and forth between houses in a constant rotation. After four years of life in America it was time for them to move back. They settled into a delightful little village in Southwest England.

We had so much fun visiting our English friends a year after they left Seattle. In one especially poignant moment, I found all the kids huddled around the school yearbook we’d brought for them. The kids were so interested in seeing how everyone looked and hearing stories of what had happened since they’d left. When it was time for us to leave after two nights, there were tears on all sides. The mom of the family told her kids, “See, I told you your American friends would come visit.”

When I heard that, the tears welled up in me again. A feeling overcame me that was similar to when I see stories of long-lost friends reuniting, or blogger friends meeting in person. We are all more connected than we think. And when we honor the threads that bind us, we help complete each other’s tapestries in a beautiful way.

(featured photo from Pexels))

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

Taking the First Step

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“For some things we never feel ready.” – Moana 2

My kids and I watched Moana 2 this week when we were in Hawaii. It felt like another way to weave in the Island culture. But it turned into something more when I heard the quote above. Moana is getting ready for an expedition and her mom says to her, “For some things we never feel ready.”

That line hit me right in the heart. I always want to feel ready – and never do. My best adventures come from when I do it anyway. Like this summer as my kids and I travel from Seattle to Hawaii and then on to visit friends in Amsterdam, Paris and England. I’ve learned so much. Mostly about how not to get frozen in fear but instead have faith that I can follow the steps in front of me one at a time.

So in this episode of The Life of Try, I share the story about turning a long-held dream of visiting friends in France into a real-life adventure through courage, creativity, and community support. What began as an expensive and seemingly impossible trip became an opportunity to rent out my home, ask for help, and take the next step before the whole path was clear.

This episode explores what it means to stop waiting for perfect timing, listen to the quiet tug of what matters, and move forward even when life feels uncertain. Through stories about Airbnb, travel logistics, helpful neighbors, pet care, and unexpected solutions, I reflect on the powerful formula: Motive + Means = Opportunity.

Key Takeaways

  • Don’t wait for easy—move because it matters. The right time may never arrive, but meaningful goals often begin with one brave first step.
  • Pay attention to the sparks. A casual comment, a book passage, a flyer, or someone else’s story can become part of the solution once you start moving.
  • Say the dream out loud. People can’t support a goal they don’t know about, so communicate what you’re trying to do and be willing to accept help.
  • Use the formula: Motive + Means = Opportunity. When your why meets the resources, people, and ideas already around you, new possibilities begin to unfold.
  • Take the next step, not the whole staircase. You don’t need to solve every problem in advance; you only need to meet the next real step in front of you.

If you’re looking for encouragement to get unstuck, try something new, pursue a meaningful goal, or find courage in the messy middle, this episode offers inspiration, practical wisdom, and a reminder that you don’t need to see the whole staircase to begin.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores how the smallest moments in life can become the most powerful stories — from a beloved Seattle raccoon named Jimothy to a little boy celebrating soccer goals with his grandmother. Through humor, heart, and the idea of narrative transportation, this episode looks at why specific, human stories help us feel seen, connected, and inspired to keep trying.If you’ve ever wondered how to tell better stories about everyday life, how to make your experiences more meaningful, or why small moments can carry big emotional truth, this episode is for you.Key takeaways:• Relatable stories often begin with small, specific moments rather than big life lessons.• Details help listeners see, feel, and remember a story.• Everyday stories can reveal courage, connection, confidence, and support.• The most powerful stories do not need to be perfect — they need to be honest and human.• Living The Life of Try means celebrating small wins, showing up for each other, and trying again from wherever we are.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this Episode:

Motive + Means = Opportunity transcript

The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker, PhD

Other Episodes you Might Enjoy:

How to Let Go of Expectations & Keep Trying | Personal Growth Mindset

How to Find and Share Your Unique Superpower | Roger Kastner on Purpose & Personal Growth

⁠How to Reclaim Fun in Adult Life | Mike Rucker, PhD, on Joy, Burnout and the Fun Habit⁠

How to Share Compassionate Stories that Inspire and Connect

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“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.” – Maya Angelou

The other day, as I was driving my kids home from school, a car cut in front of me and then sped off. My 10-year-old daughter said from the back seat, “Wow, that was rude.” And she wasn’t wrong.

But we often play a game where we imagine why someone might have done something that irritated us. Like with the driver of that car:

  • “Maybe they were grossed out by the bathrooms at Tiger Mountain and are racing home to go instead.”
  • “Maybe they are going to the airport to meet a long lost friend and have to buy some Top Pot donuts on the way.”
  • “Maybe they just realized they left a lasagna in the oven and were supposed to take it out…three hours ago.”

This game doesn’t just amuse us – it makes us feel better. It creates some compassion for the other person and shifts us out of our indignation.

It also makes for a better story and resonates with social psychologist, writer, and editor Anne Beall’s wisdom about compassion. On the How To Share podcast, I recently sat down with Anne to explore the ideas behind her book The Compassionate Writer. Anne shares her journey from researcher to founder of the Chicago Story Press Literary Magazine and offers a compelling elevator pitch for her transformative approach to writing with compassion.

We dive into the four pillars of compassionate writing—compassion for ourselves, for others, for the reader, and throughout the writing process—and discuss how these practices can elevate both storytelling and personal growth. Anne also breaks down the thoughtful structure of her book, which blends explanation, real‑world examples, practical exercises, writing prompts, and guided visualizations to help writers deepen their craft.

In this podcast episode, you’ll hear Anne reflect on her unique superpower of seeing stories from a fresh perspective, how her background shaped that lens, and why it can be both an asset and a challenge. We also explore her other works, including Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After, and talk about the impact of fairy tales and how reframing their messages can empower us.

If you’re looking for inspiration, creative insight, or tools to become a more mindful and empathetic writer, this conversation is packed with value. It’s a rich, energizing episode you won’t want to miss!

Takeaways

  • Compassion is essential for effective storytelling.
  • Understanding our own narratives requires empathy.
  • Writers should be gentle with themselves during the process.
  • Compassion for the reader enhances engagement.
  • Psychological biases affect how we perceive our writing.
  • Different learning styles require varied teaching methods.
  • Visualizations can aid in the writing process.
  • Seeing stories from multiple perspectives enriches writing.
  • The tone of writing can create a more relatable experience.

Here’s a fabulous short clip of Anne telling why compassion makes such a difference in our writing:

Here are some ways you can watch or listen to all of this insightful and helpful episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores how the smallest moments in life can become the most powerful stories — from a beloved Seattle raccoon named Jimothy to a little boy celebrating soccer goals with his grandmother. Through humor, heart, and the idea of narrative transportation, this episode looks at why specific, human stories help us feel seen, connected, and inspired to keep trying.If you’ve ever wondered how to tell better stories about everyday life, how to make your experiences more meaningful, or why small moments can carry big emotional truth, this episode is for you.Key takeaways:• Relatable stories often begin with small, specific moments rather than big life lessons.• Details help listeners see, feel, and remember a story.• Everyday stories can reveal courage, connection, confidence, and support.• The most powerful stories do not need to be perfect — they need to be honest and human.• Living The Life of Try means celebrating small wins, showing up for each other, and trying again from wherever we are.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

How to Share Compassionate Stories That Inspire and Connect transcript

The Compassionate Writer on Barnes & Noble, and Amazon

Anne Beall’s website

Anne Beall on Substack

Chicago Story Press Literary Journal

From the host:

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

(featured photo from Pexels)

How to Share Music

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“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the wind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato

I’ve seen it on Hallmark cards, Instagram, Facebook, and journal covers. It’s the image of someone doing something gutsy like jumping over a chasm with the words, “Leap and the net will appear.”

I think I’ve found variations of this idea in every spiritual tradition and book of writing advice that I’ve studied. There is something powerful in setting your sights on something and THEN figuring how to make it happen.

Hearing someone else’s story about how they did this is pure inspirational gold. In this episode of the How to Share podcast, author and educator Nancy Shear tells her story of leaping. She was 15 years old when she first heard the Philadelphia Orchestra. She knew she had hear more but she didn’t have the price of the ticket. Through patience and pluck she figured out how to go in by the stage door – and that led to the amazing stories she tells in her book, I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms.

Nancy and I talk about how sneaking in through the back door of the Philadelphia Orchestra opened so many fascinating doors in her life such landing the job as the assistant librarian to the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 17. We get to ride along with Nancy to meet all the incredible people she got to know including the wonderfully charismatic conductor Leopold Stokowski who starred in Disney’s Fantasia to the incredible cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

Nancy lets us in on so many fantastic aspects of the workings of an orchestra and I reveal some of the ways her book changed how I listen to a performance. Her nerve, grit, and storytelling will leave you amazed and inspired. I know you’ll love this conversation with the delightful Nancy Shear.

Here are some favorite quotes:

  • “If you have no choice, then you make a life.”
  • “Money is not necessary; it led to my going backstage and meeting all these people.”
  • “Beauty still matters in this battered world.”
  • “What is to lose? You’re walking into a room of human beings.”
  • “Writing the book was where the courage really came in.”

And here’s Nancy telling the story of sneaking in to the Philadelphia Orchestra:

Here are some ways you can watch this fascinating and delightful episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores how the smallest moments in life can become the most powerful stories — from a beloved Seattle raccoon named Jimothy to a little boy celebrating soccer goals with his grandmother. Through humor, heart, and the idea of narrative transportation, this episode looks at why specific, human stories help us feel seen, connected, and inspired to keep trying.If you’ve ever wondered how to tell better stories about everyday life, how to make your experiences more meaningful, or why small moments can carry big emotional truth, this episode is for you.Key takeaways:• Relatable stories often begin with small, specific moments rather than big life lessons.• Details help listeners see, feel, and remember a story.• Everyday stories can reveal courage, connection, confidence, and support.• The most powerful stories do not need to be perfect — they need to be honest and human.• Living The Life of Try means celebrating small wins, showing up for each other, and trying again from wherever we are.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

How To Share Music transcript

I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms by Nancy Shear on Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Simon & Schuster

Nancy Shear’s website: https://nancyshear.com/

From the host:

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

(featured photo from Pexels)

(quote from Jennie Fitzkee – Edelweiss)

Ropes are Relational

Posted in friendshipTagged , , , , , 69 Comments

“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I awoke Friday morning to the sound of a drip in my bathroom. Amazing how a drop of water in another room landing on a bath mat that’s designed to absorb water can penetrate the unconscious. It felt like I came abruptly awake and then sat straight up listening. It reminds me of something I heard from acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton that our ears never sleep, even when our brain does.

The vent on the fan was the source of the leak. So this weekend I got out one of my climbing ropes so that I could do some repair work on the roof. Afterwords, as I was coiling the rope, I was struck by how ropes are like friendship. It takes me a long time to coil a 60 meter rope so perhaps I was just delirious but I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch.

Ropes help us cross dangerous terrain: In the mountains when conditions are icy, steep, or pitted with crevasses, being roped to a team helps ensure safety if someone falls. We know from research, like the longitudinal study that Dr. Robert Wallinger talks about in his TED talk, that friendship has a similar effect. Good relationships keep us happy and healthy.

It’s easier to unkink a rope when it’s not frozen: Ropes, like friendships, get knotted and kinked sometimes. Ropes, like friendships, are easier to unkink when they aren’t frozen. When guides come back into camp after a summit or training exercise, they take care of the ropes right away. Even when the conditions are rough and people are tired and sore, it’s worth the effort to straighten and coil it before it freezes. In my experience, this is true for friendships as well.

Ropes are heavy: Carrying a climbing rope adds around 10 pounds to your pack, more if the rope is wet. When my friends and I climbed together, we’d divvy up the group gear to spread the load. But often when a climber isn’t feeling well, a team member will carry the rope for them. In my experience of good friendships, the same thing happens with carrying the weight of the relationship. Often, it isn’t a completely equitable split of time and effort that makes a friendship work but the willingness of both parties to switch off carrying the load when things get rough or busy.

Here’s the other thing that I love about ropes – they require me to find someone to hold the other end. I tend towards the stubbornly independent so this slows me down enough to get help. As I coiled the rope back up, I also appreciated how reassuring it was to have my mom and sister-in-law there when I roped up to repair the seal around the fan vent. I never slipped or needed the rope to catch me but I knew it was there and it made me feel safer. Just like my friendships.

(featured photo is mine of a rope coiling at the climbing gym)

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon

I host the How to Share podcast, a podcast celebrates the art of teaching, learning, giving, and growing.

I also co-host the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, an author, creator and storytelling podcast with the amazing Vicki Atkinson.

How to Share Resilience

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“Tell me facts, and I’ll learn. Tell me truth, and I’ll believe you. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” – Native American Proverb

I’m always amazed at how much hearing someone’s story impacts me. For instance, I published a post on Monday about how I had to evacuate files from my laptop when it started having a power problem.

It wasn’t until I produced this latest episode of the How to Share podcast with author Ana Hebra Flaster that I realized the connection. In her book Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town, Ana tells the story how her family left Cuba in 1967 when she was six-years-old. They had to declare themselves enemies of the revolution so that once their exit papers arrived, they were escorted out of the house, it was sealed, and she and her family had 48-hours to say goodbye to family and friends.

In another great example of how powerful a story well-told is, the imagery of having to leave everything behind was still with me a week later when I had my laptop problem. Rightly so because Ana and I had a fantastic conversation about her memoir in this episode, How to Share Resilience with Ana Hebra Flaster. It’s an incredible memoir of the immigrant story with so much heart and courage.

Ana tells us the story of leaving how her family left Cuba with nothing of value as demanded by the Castro government. But they couldn’t contain the spirit and grit of those that left. Ana tells the story of how her mom stood up for an employee working for her and how that reflected the ethos of the Havana barrio from where she came.

We discuss Ana’s aunt’s determination to take her teaching degree with her to America even though it was forbidden by the Cuban government and her family disagreed. Ana explains why this was important enough to disregard the rules.

We talk about Ana’s childhood tolerance of “Cubanosity” as she coined the term and the struggle to both be rooted in her heritage but also be free of it as she came of age.

Ana tells us what writing a memoir has sparked in other immigrants and families she’s talked with after publication. How the thread of one experience touches so many. Ana reminds us to find our viejos (old people) and ask them questions.

Ana introduced me to the phrase, ponte guapa – make yourself brave. She exhibits that courage in writing a book that not only captures her family’s story but also speaks to all of us digging deep to know where we came from and how we fit in.

This is a great book and a fantastic conversation. I know you’ll love it!

Takeaways

  • Ana’s memoir captures the immigrant experience with heart and courage.
  • The importance of family and community in overcoming adversity.
  • Writing can spark reflection and connection among immigrants.
  • The phrase ‘Ponte Guapa’ encourages bravery in facing life’s challenges.
  • Stories of powerful women in Ana’s family exemplify resilience.
  • Trauma can lead to deeper understanding and appreciation of one’s roots.
  • Engaging with one’s heritage can foster healing and connection.
  • The act of storytelling is vital for preserving history and identity.

Here’s a great clip of Ana talking about her book and the incredible stories of bravery from her family:

Here are some ways you can watch the full episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores how the smallest moments in life can become the most powerful stories — from a beloved Seattle raccoon named Jimothy to a little boy celebrating soccer goals with his grandmother. Through humor, heart, and the idea of narrative transportation, this episode looks at why specific, human stories help us feel seen, connected, and inspired to keep trying.If you’ve ever wondered how to tell better stories about everyday life, how to make your experiences more meaningful, or why small moments can carry big emotional truth, this episode is for you.Key takeaways:• Relatable stories often begin with small, specific moments rather than big life lessons.• Details help listeners see, feel, and remember a story.• Everyday stories can reveal courage, connection, confidence, and support.• The most powerful stories do not need to be perfect — they need to be honest and human.• Living The Life of Try means celebrating small wins, showing up for each other, and trying again from wherever we are.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Links for this episode:

How to Share Resilience with Ana Hebra Flaster transcript

Ana’s website: https://anacubana.com/

Property of the Revolution on Barnes & Noble and Amazon

(featured photo from Pexels)

The Long Joke

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“Your attitude is either the lock or the key to the door of success.” – Dennis Waitley

The lead up to this joke happened 13 months ago. I know because I blogged about it on Sharing the Heart of the Matter. Here’s the setup:

“This past weekend we were packing up to leave the vacation place we stayed at for two weeks. My nine-year-old daughter, Miss O, was helping my friend, Eric, put the rubber raft away. He’d purchased the raft for this trip so he had the original box.

After deflating it, they rolled it up and then Eric said to Miss O, “It’s never going to fit back in that box.”

And Miss O retorted, “Not with that attitude. Let’s be like Mommy and at least give it a try.”

And when I asked if it fit, she replied, “It would have but when he thought I wasn’t looking, he went and put the pump into the box first.”

She recounted this story to me at bedtime the night before we left. Eric must have heard her voice (and my laughter) float down from the bedroom. When I came down after closing the door he laughingly said, “For the record, it was never going to fit back into the box.”“

We mostly forgot about the raft until a couple of weeks ago when my kids and I went looking for sports equipment at Goodwill. My kids have never met a sport they didn’t like, or so it seems. My compromise with them is to buy used sports equipment. And we’ve found some great stuff there.

Like on this last visit, when tucked under a washtub for pets and an old lawn mower we found the exact same raft that Eric had. Miss O was so excited and said, “text a picture of it to Eric.”

.

Eric’s response, “They must have had a great attitude.”

I’m still laughing. Wishing you all a great week and a fantastic attitude. 🙂

(featured photo is Eric’s markup on the original box)

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon

I host the How to Share podcast, a podcast about collaboration – sharing leads to success.

I also co-host the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, an author, creator and storytelling podcast with the amazing Vicki Atkinson.

How to Share Creativity

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“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.” – Henri Matisse

I’ve often joked that I have a math brain. But have I mentioned how much of a math geek I am? When I was in college, I loved math so much that I looked through all the engineering majors to see which one required the most math classes. That’s how I ended up with an electrical engineering degree.

Nothing in the more than 30 years after I graduated from college has convinced me that I’m a natural creative. Not the three books I’ve published (because two of which are technical so that doesn’t count, right?), more than 2,000 blog posts I’ve written, or anything else.

Until now.

Because Pia Mailhot Leichter’s book, Welcome to the Creative Club, is a myth-busting, research-based, fantastically inspiring book that will change your perspective and power. The clip below gives a small taste of that.

Vicki Atkinson and I were recently blessed enough to be able to talk with the amazing creative director, entrepreneur, and author Pia Mailhot Leichter on the How to Share podcast.

Pia’s book is an incredible invitation into our own creative power. She beautifully weaves agency and awe together in a way that helps bring us alive again. Pia delivers a reminder to move out of autopilot and a perspective to help with adversity, and everything else!

She tells us the story of how coming undone was a trip back to knowing herself and remembering that she’s the creative director of her life. We talk about creating evidence of our resilience.

Pia’s view of creativity will leave you feeling empowered. Which is part of her mission helping others live and lead from creativity.

Takeaways

  • We often need to lose ourselves to find our true selves.
  • Creativity is a response to life’s challenges.
  • Creativity is not just for artists; it’s for everyone.
  • Embracing uncertainty can lead to greater joy and creativity.
  • Vulnerability fosters connection and understanding.
  • Storytelling is a way to honor our journeys and experiences.
  • Collaboration enhances the creative process and outcomes.
  • We are all natural born creators, regardless of our paths.
  • Reclaiming our creativity is essential for a fulfilling life.

This is a great conversation full of energy and inspiration. Buckle up for a beautiful ride. We know you’ll love it!

Here are some ways you can listen and watch this powerful episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What makes a story truly relatable? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores how the smallest moments in life can become the most powerful stories — from a beloved Seattle raccoon named Jimothy to a little boy celebrating soccer goals with his grandmother. Through humor, heart, and the idea of narrative transportation, this episode looks at why specific, human stories help us feel seen, connected, and inspired to keep trying.If you’ve ever wondered how to tell better stories about everyday life, how to make your experiences more meaningful, or why small moments can carry big emotional truth, this episode is for you.Key takeaways:• Relatable stories often begin with small, specific moments rather than big life lessons.• Details help listeners see, feel, and remember a story.• Everyday stories can reveal courage, connection, confidence, and support.• The most powerful stories do not need to be perfect — they need to be honest and human.• Living The Life of Try means celebrating small wins, showing up for each other, and trying again from wherever we are.🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for weekly conversations about resilience, courage, creativity, reinvention, mindset, and living with intention.ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch Next➡️ How to Overcome Burnout & Build an Upward Spiral of Growth, Fun & Resilience➡️ Near-Death Experience with Jesus | Liza Anderson on Faith, Healing and Recovery➡️ How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore
  1. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  2. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
  3. When Your Plan Falls Apart | How to Stay Resilient and Keep Trying
  4. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  5. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore

Transcript for How to Share Creativity with Pia Mailhot Leichter

Links for this episode:

Welcome to the Creative Club on Amazon, Audible and Barnes and Noble

Famished a spoken word album on Spotify

Pia’s site: kollektiv studio

From the Hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith; Blog: https://wynneleon.com/

(featured photo from Pexels)