Slay: 1. to kill by violence. 2. to destroy; extinguish.

A standard definition of “to slay”

Stories are being slayed left and right in our world. The stories of refugees seeking safety. The stories of innocent lives lost to gun violence. The stories of families suffering addiction. The stories of people dying without access to healthcare. The stories of a planet gasping for air. Silencing stories leads to fear and ignorance. Silencing stories leads to pain and suffering. Silencing stories leads to loneliness and isolation. Silencing stories leads to dehumanization and cruelty. Silencing stories leads to death. 

I am a story slayer.

I am a story slayer when I ignore my world. I am a story slayer when I do not use my time and talent to share, connect, and tell. I am a slayer of stories when I learn of pain, and my shock and silence overtake action. It becomes paralysis like cement and lead. I am a slayer of stories when anger festers and remains in my head and heart. It becomes depression and anxiety rather than fire. I am a slayer of stories when I choose despair not resistance, judgment not grace, sadness not hope.

How do I stop slaying stories?

I choose peace.

Our stories bring peace to conflict. Peace not the absence of suffering and conflict but the flow of falling apart and coming together that is life itself. When we know each other, difference is strength. When we know each other, peace creates justice. When we know each other, we don’t have to sing the same song to hear music. When we know each other, fists become open hands. There is peace in justice, harmony, and an open hand. In that way, stories bring peace.

I stay awake.

Stories wake me up. Staying awake means I am not numb to the pain of others or myself. To stay awake I must get outdoors. In nature, my entire being feels full and enough. In a city, the rhythm of it all connects me to my song. To stay awake I must gather and tell stories. If I was a cat, Curiosity would have killed me long ago. Curiosity has taught me: in general, people want to be seen and heard, there is wisdom everywhere, and people are kind.

I finish what I start.

I used to believe that starts were more critical than finishes. Let me explain. Simply starting — being in the arena— is essential. We never have to risk, leap, fall, or fail if we are never in the arena. Starting is an antidote to fear, cynicism, and paralysis. Starting subverts the tyranny of perfection. There is another side. If we never start, we never finish. We never see something through. We never learn from the arc of experience. We never taste the sweetness of completion. I commit to the beginning, middle, and end story. 

I conjure magic.

I conjure magic when I share my story and the story of others. When I share stories, the world gets a little smaller and gentler. When I share stories, the world gets more creative and kind. When I share stories, our common experience shows strength and grace. When I share stories, we all feel less scared and alone. When I share stories, empathy can happen. There is magic in connection. There is magic in story.

Read the Thrive version of the essay here . . .