My almost three year old son was wondering around in the back yard. Just about to wiggle his way into the garage and pick up his favorite past time project...the weed eater. I opened the back door and surprised him. The rush of emotions, surprise, fear, and startle immediately took over his little body and came out as a resounding, "NOOOOO!" He was not at all happy about be caught or surprised, maybe even a little scared.
I often find his reaction is the same reaction I often have when something isn't going my way. Although I am able to hold myself together and not scream "NO!" at whatever caught me off guard, I certainly would like to have that response whenever stress, overwhelm, anger, frustration, envy, jealously, and endless other emotions surprise me.
The past couple of weeks, there have been several moments when I wanted to yell back. When I wasn't able to see my previous therapist due to unforeseen circumstances; when snow showed up in April and I had to reschedule a training yet again because of weather; when my windshield wipers broke and I couldn't have them immediately fixed; when my son woke up in the middle of the night puking all over his bed and I didn't sleep at all that night.
Those are the moments when I want to crawl back in bed and wake up in a few days or weeks. I'm not sure I've got any of this life stuff figured out, but I have learned to acknowledge my limits. I am also incredibly blessed to have a partner that recognizes when I'm no longer functioning and is able to take over when I'm overwhelmed and past my breaking point.
During our staff retreat, our guest speaker, Curtis Miller, shared the importance of sharing our story. We were able to connect and belong in new ways just by sharing our story. We each shared our 5 minute life story and then as a group, we were able to pinpoint a super power of our other group members based on the story they shared. As a species that relies on connection and belonging as a fundamental need, our job is often to recognize and see things in others so we can pinpoint what they need and find ways to support them.
When a friend, family member, or co-worker is struggling, it is often up to us to see their struggle and offer the support we are able to give while acknowledging our own limits and abilities. Sometimes our role just means noticing and asking for help when we aren't able to be the person that offers support.
This month I challenge you to share your story. Be intentional. And if you aren't sure where to start, here is a story telling guide to help get started.