The Nature of... Hanging on and Being Transformed

Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story was a staple on radio for almost 34 years.  He would focus on a specific news story, reciting the well-known facts... followed by a commercial.  The listener needed to hang on until after the break to hear the rest of the story.  The post-commercial segment provided more in depth facts that oftentimes flipped the perspective or interpretation of what really happened.  In other words, the story -- and the listener -- were transformed by the outcome... which was sometimes unknown or not always told by others.

Since Paul's death in 2009, I have missed hearing the rest of the stories that swirl around us.  His storytelling enlivened the admonition to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.

The Nature of Shoes... to protect

Our well-worn shoes and soles [maybe even, souls] tell the story impressed by our feet.  But, are we willing to hang on and understand the rest of our human story?  Can we:

• Feel the contours of our own shoes [lives]?
• Try on the shoes [experiences] of others?
• Walk alongside [understand] people on this Life Journey?

To understand others, it may be important to filter out those stories that divide and separate us.  Yes, we are all different -- but I believe we all have purpose and bring value to Life.

The Nature of Barnacles... to filter

One outgrowth of Dialogue that I am just beginning to explore is the ability to Let Go.  As I notice my tendencies to control or manipulate a conversation -- and when I let go -- I relax and listen more.  I no longer need to prove that "I know what I know."  Rather, I seek a shared understanding:  your story is impressed upon my story.

What I hear no longer needs to be filtered by my sense of Right-Wrong.  The ground for dialogue becomes fertile when we sacrifice our self-interest and allow trust and safety to take root.  Instead of continuing the cycle of old ideas and our own way of being, new growth is nurtured and enriched by our combined Lives Lessons Learned.

The Nature of a Nurse's Log...to enrich new growth

Thus, our individual lives and experiences move toward The Rest of the Story, a compassionate Way of Being that encourages the freedom to be creative.

As we tell our stories this week, may we let go... relax... and soak in the richness of another perspective.  May we take a break.... hang on... and be transformed by new facts we will learn.

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)