The power of storytelling and story listening never ceases to amaze me. There is something I’ve always found quite profound in standing powerfully in the tales of my life and sharing them with the world. Equally, I've found empowerment in listening to the stories of those I’ve been lucky enough to come in contact with. There is an incredible energy exchanged when we listen powerfully to the stories that surround us, and I’ve found the most radical changes in my life happen when I make my narrative matter as much as those surrounding me. Most times, if I listen intently enough, I can see myself inside of others, and that to me creates an invisible connectedness across humanity that has transformative power.
Below is the first episode in a series of stories I’ve been compelled to tell for over a decade. They are stories that have moved my soul so profoundly that I’ve spent the last twelve years trying to figure out exactly how to share them with dignity, love, and power. It is only now that I realize these stories tell themselves.
In this first episode you’ll meet Nomsa Masuku, one of my dearest friends. Over the past twelve years Nomsa has found the strength within herself to stand up for women’s rights, fight to protect the orphaned and vulnerable children in her community in Swaziland, and educate, support, and love those living with HIV/AIDS. This footage has been shot over a twelve year period and documents Nomsa and the courageousness in which she shares herself with the world. It also documents our friendship, something that has bloomed over the last twelve years, and has shaped who I am as a person, a coach, a friend, and a humanitarian.
This is a story of empowerment. It is a story about a woman who has inspired me by empowering herself to create change in her life despite the odds against her. She has inspired me to move towards the things that scare me; she is a woman who motivates me to live a life of purpose and passion. It is finally time to share her message with the world, in honor of all she have given me.
As you watch, I urge you to ask yourself: what stories do you hold inside of you that are yearning to be told? When last did you move towards the things that scare you? What are the stories inside of you that make you unique, passionate, and courageous?
Let your story matter.