Tales of Love and Hope

When things feel hopeless, here are a few stories to remind you of your capacity for grace, gratitude, and revolutionary self-love this Thanksgiving season.

I have a short list of favorite stories that have helped me rise to the challenge, overcome fears of circumstances out of my control, and see differently in a sea of uncomfortable differences. Stories that have offered me powerful clarity to shift my narrow viewpoints and expand through discomfort. 

Wahe Guru! That feeling of ecstatic bliss going from darkness to light, ignorance to wisdom. Aha! Ahhhhh….. Ha!! (Relax and smile!)​

As I think about the things I’m grateful for this season, this is a big one: stories. Stories that light you up and stories of impact, especially when the impact can change the drudgery and anxieties of everyday life into something deeply touching and hopeful. Of course there are many Inspiring and incredible stories of perseverance, courage, struggle, and overcoming the odds— and these are powerful! But today I am thankful for those tales and takeaways that gift us support and guidance through daily challenges, ordinary circumstances, general stressors, and simply how to be in this diverse and crazy world with others and with yourself. These stories are absolute gems. 

Let me share a few of my favorites with you. In honor of these creators, I will offer links to their books or websites so that you can ‘meet’ them directly and support their work, if you wish. These are not sponsored, simply my deepest admiration and gratitude for their impact. I’m sharing my takeaways and how I found them to be so important. In most cases, the depth, power and synopsis of the stories are much more than what I’ve written. I hope you will read the full tales and discover for yourself. May you find them worthy and helpful in your life, as much as they have touched mine. 

In no particular order:

See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love by Valarie Kaur
One of the first books I included in my book club, this book contains those heroic and inspiring stories that make you believe in the goodness in humanity. Stories of forgiveness in circumstances that seem unforgivable….and how it can offer the perpetrator an opportunity to completely change 180 degrees, from what they believed to be true. How deeply that opening can heal not only the forgiven but the forgiver. 

The key gift I took from the book is in its title: See No Stranger. If we can see “strangers” as family, as the author suggests, instead of some unknown entity, we are more inclined to create an opening for “the other” to share who they are. We are more inclined to be curious about this relation. We can discover we are all in the family of this human race, on this earth, at this time together.  We are more alike in our hopes and dreams, fears and blocks, and feelings than we think. 

“You are the part of me I do not yet know,” Ms. Kaur muses. 

When we are so bothered by someone else’s beliefs or actions, what is that part of us that is so disturbed? Not everyone feels the same way so what is it within you that needs examining? How can we wonder about ‘the other’ as “...the part of me I do not yet know”? How can we see ‘the other’ as family, not a stranger at all?


What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing By Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D. and Oprah Winfrey
This is a collection of stories that showcase how our life experiences subconsciously shape who we are and how we respond. Responses or reactions that don’t make sense on the surface but, digging into what happened to that person--what is their story?—and their (mis-)behaviors make perfect sense. This book reminds me to consider “what happened to [that person]?” instead of thinking “what’s wrong with [them]?”  “What happened to you” leaves space for empathy, for listening, for creating connection. 

When people react seemingly out of context, I wonder “what happened to them?”  I can’t always get that answer, which is often buried deep in one’s subconscious even they don’t know why they are triggered. I can however create space for the possibility that something happened, even as I may never get to know. I can set my own boundaries (if their subconscious reaction might cross a line for me), and then trust and let go. I can choose to believe– as I once heard Brené Brown say: “What if everyone is doing the best they can?” It’s not OUR best, it’s THEIR best, based on where they are today and what they know or don’t know. Same applies to ourselves. 

Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth
This children’s book is an excellent one for adults of all ages. I’ll focus on two of its tales. Its Buddhist messages are simple yet profound and seem to apply to so much of the social dynamics we encounter every day. 
 
First, The Farmer’s Luck or as I like to call it: the “maybe” story. The tale moves through unexpected outcomes that the people quickly judge as lucky or unlucky, only to stand corrected. It reminds me that no matter the situation that’s happening in the world, there’s no telling for sure if “my vote” is the best way. Best way for whom anyway? We don’t know for certain even when we feel so certain. Thus, don’t get worked up when things don’t go your way. Just maybe, that “unlucky” situation happened exactly so a subsequent “lucky” situation can happen…….maybe!!  

I’ve noticed so many of us digging our heels in for our beliefs and what we think is “the right way” or “the better of two evils”.  The truth is……maybe!  We are allowed our beliefs certainly and we can take actions that align and support “our truth”, but then, let go of the outcome or the angst over someone else’s alternate reality. You don’t know where they’ve been, what they’ve experienced, what they know and don’t know. And they can feel the same of you. The truth is…..maybe.

Second, A Heavy Load is a tale of a wise older monk and an apprentice who run into an obnoxious and rude lady on their walk. Quite simply it teaches us the wisdom of “letting go” of things that don’t really matter. Yes, the situation was “wrong”, the person was unreasonable and annoying, and they dealt with it and kept going. Physically, the situation was over. Mentally, was it over or did you continue to carry the heavy burden? 

How many times do you find yourself replaying an experience that is over and out of your hands? Instead you carry the weight of judgment, rumination and anger, even after you’ve dealt with what was in your control? Does it serve you to keep dwelling on it? “Why are you still carrying it?”

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle 
In this book, the author shares the intense stories of the gang members he offers his services to, helping them to find a path, self-worth, kindness and support. Truly heartbreaking and elevating stories of fellow humans surviving through tough circumstances and environments. These stories reminded me how our lives can change so meaningfully with even the smallest shift in connection, trust and faith– and that it’s never too late to receive that shift. Going from believing you are worthless and stuck in a life sentence to discovering you have support available to you, innate capacities and value can change not only your future outlook, but also your haunting low-image of your past self. Your much-improved future You develops a much-improved version of the past You.

As I reflect back on my personal experience with low self-esteem, it is remarkable how completely that shift into self-love was able to change my long-held, negative self-assessment of the past. This is one of the reasons I always tell people it’s never too late to change your self-worth. It changes more than your present and future; it also elevates your past.

The Little Soul and The Sun: A Children’s Parable by Donald Neale Walsch
A children’s parable and another one that is powerful for adults, the author shares the tale of a sweet soul conversing with God. This soul wishes to learn what certain attributes actually feel like, such as forgiveness. We learn that we are all souls who get to live as humans in order to experience “light” and that some souls –our friends and fellow light beings– get to be the “dark” so that the “light” can be felt. The story offers a beautiful reminder that we are all innocent and light at our soul level; we just need to remember this as we encounter those souls who are playing “dark” so that our light can shine. 

In the world today, as we encounter “dark” others or situations, it can feel scary, frustrating, maddening, unfair and hopeless. I find it helpful to think of this story and the darkness that simply allows us to let our light shine. It seems the darker things get, the more we see courageous, forgiving, creative, graceful, generous, [insert your own “light” quality] heroes showing up in the world. There’s truth to this. I think of the Darth Vader-Luke Skywalker scene in Star Wars where Luke insists on the goodness underneath the “darkness” of his father, refuses to fight him, and through his courageous showing of love, draws out the light in Vader. Yet another story that conjures up this reminder of light shining on the dark.....

.....of love answering fear’s call. 


A Thanksgiving Invitation for Stories
If you’ve taken classes or coaching sessions with me, you’ve likely heard me reference one or more of these stories. They are currently my most meaningful stories I like to share. I have a handful of stories from “The Moth” podcast I also find deeply healing and elevating. And the list keeps growing. 

As we enter the holiday season, I invite you to share some of your favorite, impactful stories and ask others’ for theirs. Ask: are there any tales you’ve heard or read lately that moved you, elevated your life somehow, created a shift in perspective or outlook? Stories you are grateful for?

Stories are a bridge or path to your next becoming. They are healing and a powerful way to internalize valuable lessons for growth and empowerment. And it’s so much fun to hear a good story. I wish you all of that and more. 

Please feel free to share the brilliant works I shared from my short list. I hope they spread more elevation, love and hope in the world.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

With grace,
Anna SachKiret

PS. Do you have your own short list of tales you’d like to share? Please share it with me, along with the impact it had on you!

PSS. Speaking of sharing, every quarter Savitree Kaur and I host a live, online check-in to connect with you within community. We would love for you to join us for our next one, celebrating the Winter Solstice. More info to come– meanwhile, save the date/time of Saturday, December 21 at 10:00 AM central time.