Last night, we celebrated storytelling in America.
Our main shared cultural story vehicle is film, and the Oscars are the most highly-acclaimed award associated with that storytelling.
Stories are how we learn empathy. Stories are the conveyor of shared cultural values. Stories are the way our brains are wired to retain information. (They worked pretty well for Jesus, and every storyteller before and since.)
How is it possible that there are so very few women, LGBTQ+ and people of color represented in this celebration of our culture’s “best” stories? (Three cheers to those who mentioned it last night on the broadcast.) That means that at least 70% of the population was left out of the story. What is it saying when the stories of women, LGBTQ+ and people of color are not included in the story?
It’s saying that our stories need to be marginalized. They don’t get the spotlight. We aren’t valued, except in relation to the protagonist.
And I see that phenomenon playing out every day in real life. I see it when a woman downplays her needs in a situation. I see it when a person of color doesn’t speak up about a micro-aggression. I see it when a person hides that they are LGBTQ+ because they sense that it could put them in danger.
The stories have taught us to live small. That’s why you need to live your story. If you are brave enough to live wildly aligned with your true calling, we’ll start to shift perceptions. People will have new, real-life stories that will make their way into films.
I did a Facebook Live mini-training about all of this during the Oscars called “Why now is the most important time to live your calling and how to start. Even if it’s awkward.” I talked about the 3 parts of your calling, how to find it, and how to start living it. There’s even a free download if you’d like to watch it.
Start living your story. Even if it’s awkward.
Stop settling. Start living your story.
