WATCH: Are Latino Men Naturally Machista - The Kat Call

Earlier this year I watched 13th with my husband. It's a remarkable documentary that clearly shows how the 13th amendment abolished slavery but how institutional racism continued and is still pervasive in our country today. It opened my eyes because I never realized how specific decisions have contributed to what black people experience in the United States today. 

Then I discovered this video after following Mitú on Facebook. They have a segment called The Kat Call where a woman named Kat calls people out on what they're thinking or how they're acting. This particular video was called "Are Latino men naturally machista?" and it really made me think about the stereotype that has been created around Latino men. 

I've been thinking more and more about stereotypes, where they come from, and why they continue. Personally, this is why I write...to share my story, to add my perspective to the narrative, and to give others a book to read that hopefully open their eyes a bit. When I read, I get to walk around in someone else's shoes and to me, it's the best way to understand others better. 

Watch and think about any biases you might have or you might have had at one point. What contributes or contributed to your thoughts? How do your biases change or how have your biases changed over time? Does this video add to your thoughts on how Latino men are portrayed in the media? Can you recognize any other stereotypes or biases that this makes you more aware of? How might your own writing break down biases or stereotypes? 

We each have a unique story to tell and in my opinion, the more voices we add to the mix, the better.

WATCH: Katy Perry - Chained To The Rhythm Video

I often describe the town I grew up in as a bubble. It wasn't until I went to college that I started to even remotely realize just how sheltered I was and how different the whole town was compared to the rest of the world. 

Watching Katy Perry's performance at the Grammy Awards made me think of my childhood but also of the world we live in today. There are so many things we perceive that might or might not be true. And there is so much that we have to question and analyze and decide about, especially in a world of supposed fake news and social media.

I wanted to bring awareness to this song and this performance because it impacted me in terms of how I think about and view the world but also in my own writing. I've been working on revisions of a young adult novel and in this particular book, the main character has a lot going on in her head. She's trying to cover the sadness and insecurity she faces. So much of this story in particular is about what people see on the outside versus what a person is experiencing on the inside. Many if not most books are like this and it's one reason I love reading and writing so much. I've discovered so much from getting to know a main character as I'm reading. As a writer, I love that I have the opportunity to help readers see that there is more to us than meets the eye. It's fascinating to think about and I hope you get some inspiration. 

Watch and think about your own life or your own writing. Can you recognize examples of how something portrayed to others is different from the reality? Explore this in your own writing - either about yourself or in connection to your main character. I've recognized that in order for readers to connect with your character, they need to know what the scoop is. Here's a great blog post from Adventures in YA Publishing about a blueprint for writing that I found to be super helpful. It refers to your protagonist and what's going on under the surface and I hope you find it helpful!

WATCH: Thoughts on How Education Can Change the World By Jen Vincent

I am and always will be an educator at heart. 

Sometimes being an educator keeps me up at night.

And that leads to me creating a middle-of-the-night video that shares my thoughts on education because I'm so fired up I can't sleep. 

Teachers have the power 

to change the world
because we are charged 

with changing the lives of children.

I believe every teacher has to show kids they see them and they have to inspire them. And the easiest way to do that is to get them fired up to be consumers and creators. That's why I blog at Teach Mentor Texts and Story Exploratory to share ideas for how we can all be consumer and creators. With everything I share, I hope someone is inspired in some way.

I'm over doing things how they have always been done when we know better. 

I'm sharing this education-focused video here because I'd love to generate more discussion about how education can change the world. Whether you are an educator yourself or not, I appreciate your thoughts on education! 

Here are some things you can do to join in or share:

• Visit and share my post at Teach Mentor Texts. You can comment here but I'd really love to keep the conversation there if possible.
• Watch this amazingly powerful speech from Chris Emdin. It helped me solidify some of my own thoughts. (Thanks to Kathy Burnette for sharing it with me.)
• Create your response to the question: How can education change the world? Link or share it in the comments here.
• Share the post and my video. We need more people in this conversation! Please invite others to think about this and join in. 

Thanks for listening! I see you. You inspire me. 

WATCH: Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

In today's world, being connected is more possible than ever. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to connecting with others through social media but the fact is that technology makes it must more possible to connect with someone in another part of the world. 

I'm a person who thrives from being connected to others. Being part of the writing community and having critique partners helps me continue to write. Without others who are there with me along the way, I know I wouldn't be where I am at this point in my life.   

There is power in being connected. I'm sharing Steven Johnson's TedTalk: Where Good Ideas Come From because it helped me think a little more closely and a little more differently about where ideas come from and why being connected is so critical.

Did you catch these words there at the end:

"That is how innovation happens.

Chance favors the connected mind."

Watch and think about some ideas you've had recently. Did being connected to someone or a group of someones in some way help this idea come to mind? How does sharing your ideas with someone else help make your idea better? How does being connected impact your writing life?

I know for me, I use mentor texts to help me think about how others have written stories and how I might try what they've done. Whether it's word choice or how to get into a story or how to work towards the climax in a story, mentor texts help me so much. Similarly, when I'm writing, I love to hear what others do to navigate the writing process. I love Stephen King's On Writing and Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird but also Blake Snyder's Save the Cat and Kate Messner's Real Revision and 59 Reason to Write...not to mention all the blog posts I read about writing and all the ideas friends share with me when I ask, "How do you analyze your chapters as you revise?"

I'm so glad WE are connected!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the power of being connected.

WATCH: The Human Family by Maya Angelou

As 2016 comes to a close, I'd like to share this beautiful, simple yet profound, poem by Maya Angelou titled Human Family. I watch it over and over again, listening to her voice reminding me that we are all unique and yet we are all so similar. And there's room enough here for each of us.

Human FamilyBy Maya Angelou

I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land,
I've seen the wonders of the world
not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I've not seen any two
who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different
although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts
while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,
we weep on England's moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea,
and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

Watch and think about the variety of images. Do you see the similarities? The smiles, the love, the connection between people. Take a few minutes to write about how you feel connected and to whom you feel connected. Write down three cultures or people you might like to learn more about. And then go do some research, find some people to follow on Facebook, maybe read this article on how to break out of your "filter bubble", ask if you can interview a stranger. Through writing, we can explore our boundaries, it's a safe place to examine our bias. Through listening, sharing, inviting, we can discover more connections.

Thanks for watching. 

Do you have any thoughts to share?

Her words are quite like a hug aren't they?

I could stay wrapped up in them forever.

"We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike."

WATCH: Why You Should Talk To Strangers by Kio Stark

As a writer, I'm always paying attention to stories all around me and mostly that means paying attention to people. I'm fascinated by people. This might partially be because I'm an extrovert. I love talking to people, even strangers. 

So when I found this Ted Talk by Kio Stark called Why You Should Talk To Strangers caught my attention. I'm maybe a little too happy to talk to strangers. In today's world, maybe I should be more cautious, but also in today's world, maybe I should be even more willing to talk to strangers. 

One simple way to make the world a better place, is to acknowledge each other. Talking to strangers - in a safe and careful way - connects us, reminds us that we are all here together on this wild and spinning world, helps us know that we are seen. 

I've blogged about the power of being seen and I've shared Amanda Palmer's Ted Talk and book The Art of Asking that highlights the power of being connected, trusting, asking, and being vulnerable with others. And now I'm sharing Kio Stark's thoughts on talking to strangers. 

Of course, please be careful who you engage with based on where you are and your circumstances, BUT when it's safe and possible, talk to strangers. And if you aren't up for a whole conversations, maybe you at least smile or say hello and simply acknowledge that you are there in that moment together. I believe it's a way to help people and impact the world. A smile is a simple start. A conversation with a stranger is another step. Try it and see what happens!

WATCH: Dean James Ryan's 5 Essential Questions In Life

Life has it's ups and downs, it ebbs and flows, we experience highs and lows. 

But if we can hold onto what's most important to us through it all, we just might feel like it was all worth it in the end. I thought about this as I listened to James Ryan's essential questions because if we can hold onto these questions - ask them and continually come back to them - our lives just might feel fulfilled. See what you think, here is the excerpt from Dean James Ryan's speech at the 2016 Harvard Graduate School of Education Presentation of Diplomas and Certificates where he shares his 5 essential questions in life.

5 Essential Questions In Life:

1. Wait, what?

2. I wonder...?

3. Couldn't we at least...?

4. How can I help? 

5. What really matters?

And did you get what 

you wanted from this life, even so?

And here's the Raymond Carver poem he references:

Late Fragment

And did you get what

you wanted from this life, even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To call myself beloved, to feel myself

beloved on the earth.

I'm good at asking myself what really matters: spending time with my family and friends, living healthy, encouraging others to believe in their dreams, reading, writing and having fun. Pretty much in that order...but not always.

Even though I know what really matters to me, I have to purposely make time in my life and find balance (as much as I can) amongst it all. But it's not easy!

Life is short. I believe in making the most of it so I definitely connect with these questions and hope to keep them close and come back to them often. I might need a poster of them...

Watch and decide for yourself if these questions seem as essential to you as he claims them to be. Take a few minutes to write down your answers to each of them and even write down your thoughts about the questions themselves. Then stop and reread what you have written. How does it feel? Then reassess, do these questions seem as essential to you as he claims them to be? Do they resonate with you or do you have variations to suggest? 

I would love to hear your thoughts...

and your answers to my questions:

What really matters to you?

How can I help you when it comes to what really matters to you?

WATCH: How Yarn Bombing Grew Into a Worldwide Movement

One of my favorite books is Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jon Klassen. It makes me happy to think of Annabelle and her generous spirit and remember all the times I've read the book aloud. It's such a fun book to read aloud because of all the unique characters. 

Before reading Extra Yarn, I hadn't seen yarn bombing in real life...but since then, I've stumbled upon it a few different times. Here's a picture of me with my boys a little over a year ago with a yarn-bombed tree in Minnesota!

So here's the story behind yarn bombing, how it and how it has spread. I'm fascinated by how something small can spread into something bigger, how something inside each of us might expand and grow even bigger when others catch hold of it. But the trick is, if we never let our little idea out, it might never have the potential to shine.

Some of Magda's words really speak to me:

"Hidden power can be found 

in the most unassuming places."

"We all possess skills that are 

just waiting to be discovered."

Watch and think about what skills you have. Are you already sharing your ideas, skills, knowledge with others? How might you let your ideas out into the world? How might you share your knowledge and expertise with others? What are some brave things you might do to let your hidden powers out?

We all have super powers we can use to make the world a better place!

Thanks for stopping by to explore with me!

WATCH: Could Have Been Me by The Struts

I'm such a music fan. It wakes me up, energizes me, empowers me. I'm also a Spotify fan. I love being able to create my own playlists. Usually I create a different playlist for each season that comes around. 

Could Have Been Me by The Struts is one of my favorite songs. Every time I hear it, I have to jump up and dance around...or at least throw my fist into the air. It's an awesome song. More than anything, I love the message of it. 

I don't ever want to look back at my life and think it could have been me...if I had worked harder, taken a chance, stepped out of my comfort zone. I want to embrace challenges that come my way or that I find for myself. This song helps me remember why. 

"Don't wanna live as an untold story

Rather go out in a blaze of glory

I can't hear you, I don't fear you"

"I wanna taste love and pain

Wanna feel pride and shame

I don't wanna take my time

Don't wanna waste one line

I wanna live better days

Never look back and say

Could have been me"

I want to live better days. I want to feel all the emotions. Even though I don't always like having to feel disappointment and pain and sadness and shame...I know that I'm living life to the fullest when I get to experience the downs with the ups. And hopefully I find the happiness and pride and exultation as much - or maybe more - than the not-so-great emotions. 

Watch and reflect on risks or challenges you have taken on in the last year. Have you experienced ups and downs? Do the ups outweigh the downs? Are the downs worth going through to get - and appreciate - the ups? How might you make choices so that you don't look back and think "it could have been me"?

Thanks for being reflective 

and exploring your story with me today!

I'm glad you are here.

WATCH: Story Pirates Documentary

Today I'm sharing a documentary that gives insight into an organization called Story Pirates. They write with kids and then take their original stories and make them into skits with professional actors. How fun is that!? 

When I watched this, I noticed how much fun they are having! I love writing but I'm always striving to keep that love of writing present in my process. Just because I love it doesn't mean it's easy. 

I really liked listening to Anaya talk about writing:

"I love to write because I can make it 

and I can make a story any way I want. 

And I can always make 

everything my way. 

My own thing. 

When I wrote it, 

I was just making it up 

at the top of my head. 

I wasn't even planning it out. 

I just wrote it 

and then it felt free 

and then it turned out to be 

such a great story." 

I'm empowered by her words. We can write whatever we want to write, we can do it our own way, we can just write and fell the freedom in just writing. And maybe it will turn out to be a great story. I believe it will. 

Watch and think about how much fun these kids are having. How might you bring some light-heartedness to your writing? Maybe you get up and dance before you write, maybe you write based on something silly you overheard today, maybe you don't plan, maybe you just write and let your ideas flow.

Thanks for being reflective today, 

looking at your life as a writer, and exploring your story with me today!

I'm glad you are here.

WATCH: Big Hero 6

As friends head off to Disney for spring break, I dream of being there too. I rarely see my kids as excited and happy as they were when we took them to Disney World last summer!

Maybe you've been to Disney World lately...maybe you haven't.

Maybe you're planning a trip there soon...maybe you aren't.

Maybe, either way, you'll join me in some Disney fun!

In this clip from Big Hero 6, you'll watch as Hiro is desperate to get into his brother's school but in order to do so he needs a spectacular idea to prove they should accept him. 

I use this clip from Big Hero 6 any time I talk to writers about keeping a writer's notebook, the work of paying attention to the world around you and finding ideas, and free writing. Here's the Haiku Deck I use if you're interested to see how it fits into this bigger discussion. 

Free Write - Writer's Notebooks - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

Watch and notice what happens even when Hiro is so so so so ready for an idea. Does this ever happen to you? How are you similar or different in Hiro in not giving up? What do you think of his brother's advice and what does it look like in your writing life?

Watch and think about how you focus your writer's eye and what you do with ideas when you spot them. Do they go into your phone? Into a writer's notebook? Onto a napkin? Do you write about them? Just jot a note? Draw them?

Thanks for being reflective today, 

looking at your life as a writer, and exploring your story with me today!

I'm glad you are here.

WATCH: Listening to Shame by Brene Brown

This week, I started reading The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer and I can't wait to talk more about it next week. Until then, and even as a bit of a leading up to it, I'm sharing Brené Brown's TedTalk Listening to Shame. I've read Brené's book Daring Greatly and it is beautiful. Hearing her voice in this talk makes her even more endearing.

The more I write, the more I realize stories come from a place of vulnerability. People love connecting and being connected and one real and true way to connect to another person is to let them see our vulnerabilities. It's a sense of being sincere about who we are, our strengths and our flaws. And sincerity is a way of building trust. (I believe trust to be: sincerity, reliability, and competency.) When we trust another person, we can connect with him or her. 

Watch and think about what makes you vulnerable. Do you see your vulnerabilities as weaknesses? What are some ways you might remind yourself that vulnerability is the ultimate measurement of courage instead of as an example of our weakness? 

Watch and think about your shame gremlin. Brené says shame is two things: 1. I'm never good enough and 2. Who do you think you are? What are some ideas you have for facing that shame gremlin? I suggest writing! Maybe make a list of what that little booger whispers in your ear and then make a list of what you want to say back to him!

Thanks for being vulnerable today, 

looking into your heart, and exploring your story with me today!

I'm glad you are here.

WATCH: Wired for Story by Lisa Cron

I love how Lisa outlines how humans are wired for story. She reminds us that every society on Earth has story. "We think in story because story provides a context for the facts so we can make sense of them." We live our own stories but we also can learn through life via story. 

She says story is a super power. Because we love them so much, we don't see their true power and potential but they truly are what helps us survive and thrive.

Watch and think about how stories have impacted your life. Think of just how powerful story is. And ask yourself how might telling your own story help others. But not just any story - what is that story deep within you - the raw, true story that might be hard to tell, but that others might connect and learn from. 

Sometimes we overlook the power of story. Don't overlook the power of your story. 

Your story is worth exploring. It's worthy of being set free.

WATCH: Street Art With a Message of Hope and Peace by El Seed

Over the years, I've encountered so many different types of people in my work. I've learned to recognize each person's strengths and to appreciate them for what they bring to our interaction. Sometimes it takes longer to get to the heart of a person - what their passions and values and beliefs are - what guides them and the decisions they make. But I believe in finding the best in everyone. I believe we all have a story inside of us that makes us who we are.

And I believe we all need to live our story. 

El Seed talks about his work and how he's spreading a message and hoping to impact the world through his art. He calls is a blend of calligraphy and graffiti. I call it stunning.

Watch and reflect on how you are sharing your message with the world. What are some ways you might help others see your message? How might sharing your message make a positive impact on you? On others?

Watch and think about how El Seed responded to the man who was upset about his artwork. He initially wanted to write a message that said, "In your face," but instead he wrote, "Open your heart." How might you help yourself take time to pause before reacting to someone? How might taking time to think help you be more thoughtful in how you respond?

Thanks for opening your heart and exploring your story with me!

I'm glad you are here.

WATCH: The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

I talked with a teacher yesterday who told me about an exciting research project her students are embarking on. They were curious about what life was like when she was ten. She just so happens to be turning fifty this year so it works out well that it was exactly forty years ago that she was ten. She reached out to her friends on Facebook and many were willing to share their memories from being ten forty years ago. 

Right away, I thought of Story Corps and their campaign this Thanksgiving called: The Great Thanksgiving Listen. Then I thought about my friends Colby Sharp and Brad Wilson and their series Stories From School. But then my thoughts kept swirling and swirling as more and more stories about stories came to mind. 

Stories are everywhere.

I know stories matter. And yet I'm reminded again and again, like it's so hard to understand.

Stories matter.

That's why I'm here. Because I love words and love putting them together to tell my story in so many different ways. Because I believe humans want to be seen and if we can find our stories, then we see into ourselves but we also find our story to share with others. 

I love Amanda Palmer's story. I first watched this last year and watched this over and over. Amazed at the simplicity and beauty of seeing someone else. Please watch Amanda Palmer's 2013 Ted Talk The Art of Asking and think about how she tells her story and how she invites others into her story and how that makes all the difference.

Watch and think about the power of seeing into yourself but also seeing others. What if we turned off everything else and really looked someone in the eyes. What would we see? What if you look at yourself in the mirror? What do you see? What would someone not see if they didn't look closely or if they didn't know your story. And then think how you might take some time to see someone else and how to invite them to share their story with you. 

Because stories matter.

Thanks for stopping by to explore with me!

WATCH: Why Some of Us Don't Have One True Calling by Emilie Wapnick

Last week, I shared Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Ted Talk The Danger of a Single Story and I also invited you to write about why you are here. I hope you inspire you to think about your story and how knowing yourself and your story might help you move towards knowing yourself and appreciating yourself more. 

Today, I would like to share Emilie Wapnick's 2015 Ted Talk Why Some of Us Don't Have One True Calling. I love how her words helped me think about how I view myself. It expanded my thinking about myself. The more I explore my own story and why I think I'm here, the more I have to face the fact that I might not have one true calling...or maybe I do have one true calling but it's manifesting itself in so many different ways and all the little things I've experienced in my life are adding up to something bigger that I might not even see yet.

Watch and decide whether you are a specialist or a multipotentialite. How does it feel to look at yourself with this lens? Is it freeing to know that it's okay to dabble in a variety of interests? It it a relief to know it's okay if you don't know what you want to be when you grow up? And how might telling your story help others recognize their own potential - singularly or multi-ly?

Thanks for stopping by

and exploring the power of story with me!

WATCH: The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A friend recently pointed out to me that when you assume you make an ass out of u and me. When we don't understand someone else's story, our brain does its job to fill in the blanks. Our brain makes assumptions based on cues and prior experiences whether we are conscious of it or not. It's natural for our brain to make connections to what we already know, desperate to fit a person into our schema, however it can.

But hearing someone else's story helps us avoid assumptions and base our understanding of a person on their truths instead of our assumptions. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shares The Danger of a Single Story in her 2009 Ted Talk and speaks to how important it is to share our stories.

Watch and think about how sharing your story might reveal who you are inside and dispel misunderstandings. What would someone be surprised to know about you that he or she might not realize at first glance or even after a few years?

Thanks for stopping by

and exploring the power of story with us!

Welcome to Story Exploratory!

Welcome to Story Exploratory, a place to find your story, nourish your creative mind, set your story free, and ultimately make the world a better place. We're committed to giving individuals, groups, and organizations the opportunity to practice mindfulness through writing and align their work with their values and beliefs. 

Check in here for thought-provoking reads, intriguing videos to watch, opportunities to connect with others, and ideas for putting pen to paper or fingers to keys and exploring the story within you. 

Read posts will share tidbits 

from our very favorite writing resources.

We'll share our favorite inspirational videos for you to Watch.

Write posts will give you exercises or activities to help you
 practice mindfulness through writing and connect to your story.

We'll be sharing upcoming opportunities to Join in with through challenges, workshops, and webinars.

We're glad you're here to explore the story within you!