Stories and Ideas
Rev. Kitty has been doing her series on One Humanity, first Many Stories, then Many Faiths. I came across some quotes by Seth Godin that tumbled around in my head as well: “We believe what we want to believe in, and once we believe something, it becomes a self-fulfilling truth” Which, of course, you will recognize as “thoughts are things”. Think a thought long enough… hold a belief… Kitty’s series reminds us that there is nothing wrong with different ideas – even about something that most hold so important – our faith in God. Listening to the stories and speakers leads my mind to another Godin quote: “Marketing is about spreading ideas, and spreading ideas is the single most important output of our civilization.” Godin is a business writer, marketing in particular, but many of his ideas center around life success as well.
There is a balance between believing in something and it becoming our truth and being open to those other stories and ideas. I can have my faith and let others tell me about theirs without being threatened (or having to be right.) Ideas move humanity forward. Our stories carry the past and shape the future. Life stays interesting if you hear others stories. Facts are easier to remember if they are connected to a story. The people we meet are easier to remember if they are connected to a story. Find out someone’s story. I have been trying it recently. It is fun.
