I spoke at length to a vibrant young man last night. He was a stranger, but only for a moment. He opened up about his life story in which he had literally raised himself, worked many jobs, learned 2 languages, stretched his mind and body, and gained confidence. Yet, he could not own these amazing accomplishments, and when praised for them he was confused and a bit uncomfortable. Pure survival had been his modus operandi. He was a Khmer, but he could have been any of us.
Often our best stories are the ones that seem insignificant to us. We take the things we do well for granted. We become accustomed to doing the work without celebrating or showing the results. And that’s a problem, for both individuals and cultures.
If we don’t articulate and share our strengths, how will our right people know?
If we don’t communicate our value, how will our work and personhood become valued?
And if we don’t practice understanding our strengths, how will we build on them?
Your stories are more powerful than you think.
