‘We look but we don’t see, we listen but we don’t hear, we eat but we don’t know the flavor of the food. This is a state of forgetfulness…’ – Thich Nhat Hanh. How to Eat
All around me are the effects of remembering. From attending a session on underwater archaeology for the recovery of sunken slave ships, debates on confederate era statues, the Blade Runner movies which define being human by memories.
Our narratives have the power to drive how we live yet these narratives are so incomplete, so fallible.
I often think of change management work as 1/2 negotiating one’s way through conflict and choices and 1/2 interpreting social maladies.
But maybe it’s also about memory. Think of the avant guard chef who is really only recreating his mother’s kitchen, or narratives of supremacy in the face of our current feelings of unpredictability and failure. I’m working in a country with a rich history of overcoming but memories of their former glory keeps them from taking chances on new ideas and opportunities.
I recall a Facebook live event from Brene Brown where she said we can’t move forward if don’t own our stories. “Own your story” can be as liberating for citizens as it is for individuals.
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