Every day, every one of us enters the unknown; a new day, with new challenges, new opportunities; some of which we may not have planned for – regardless of how organized or prepared for anything we think we are.
And, consciously or not, we also enter each day looking for the comfort of a story to wrap us around something safe. We enter into what I call a “contract with the known.” An informal, unsigned deal, one that is never fixed or completely sure, but one that we all feel safe accepting. Why? Because we have known about the concept for a long time; we voluntarily signed on way back on the first day we encountered this thing called story. We liked it then and we like it now. We understand it, trust it. And the story trust is infectious. It makes us curious, smarter, happier, better people.
Along the way, things happened to story; negative things that we experienced first-hand; stuff that affected us individually. From the harsh: lies, personal attacks, legal confrontations, political and social injustices; to the frustrating and annoying: overhyped narratives, media half-truths, internet gossip and prolonged propaganda.
Despite what may have gone “wrong” with story over the last several thousand years, we have never given up on it. Just as we don’t abandon our jobs when a bit of chaos hits, or stop eating when the nasty ingredients in our favourite dishes are revealed, we don’t stop the storytelling. Not a chance. Instead, we find solutions to the problem, a better way forward, and carry on enjoying our forever contract with the known. We read, we watch, we listen, we observe, we share, we teach, we inspire, we write…and the story starts anew in the morning. For some, indeed millions, the contract with the known is just now beginning…right this very second…somewhere on the planet. And that makes that place, that exact moment, an exciting place to be. A hopeful place, full of energy and curiosity to make us smarter, happier, better people.
Informal or not, we all have a responsibility to contribute something positive to this contract with the known. One thing is for sure, participation is guaranteed and it is global. What’s positively energizing your day? Go ahead, pass it on.
Story: we are in this together…the safe way forward: the known into the unknown.