Did you know there is a geography to story?

Of course everyone know there’s BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END. These are the parts of story. But my colleague  Paul Andrew Costello told me there’s also a beginning, middle and end to every PART of the story.

Knowing this piece of...

What does "liminal space" and what are its gifts?  

Heather Plett was our Fireside Conversation guest in THE STORY DOJO this month. What she said about her discoveries around liminal space stayed with me and caused me to think deeply. 

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HINT:  it's one of the key skills of a great host as well.

It's holding space. 

This concept -- and it's practice -- can be hard for practitioners who are focused on methods to understand because you don't appear to be doing anything. But in fact, you are doing one of the...

Although we like to think of life as one big story, in reality, every human being is an intersection of stories. And they're all going on at the same time! 

There are stories in your life right at the beginning. New things starting, new adventures to have, new experiences and...

The other day I accompanied my girlfriend to get the shopping. The organic shop they frequent has a chilled veggie section and I find it quite cold, so I was waiting outside the door with the rest of the groceries.

I happened to find myself standing in front of some shelves full of nuts and...

 The summer solstice falls on the longest day of the year and marks the moment when the days begin to grow shorter. In cultures where the short days are REALLY short (and last for a very long time!), like Scandinavia, it is the time to celebrate Midsummer.

In the lands of the summertime...

 I remember the first time I walked on a bridge in Europe and saw a bright array of padlocks engraved with names and dates.

This wasn’t a custom I was used to, so I walked slowly and looked at them all carefully. I could sense the promise that each one held, together with the plea that...

 For my birthday on Thursday, my friends took me to Nuremberg. It is a place of fond memories for me. I spent a magical summer there in my early 20s, on an AIESEC traineeship (https://aiesec.org).

I flatted with another woman who was warm and welcoming and had a boyfriend with a Porsche. I...

But I’m not sharing that to get more cake or well wishes. Today I’m trying to remind myself of some things that should be with me not only today, but every day!

Every day can be a celebration of life if I choose it to be. Marking today is a reminder to be grateful for the continuous...

In April I was in Guelph, near Toronto, Canada, co-leading an Art of Hosting training. A new word the group invented was "vulnerageous", a unique mash-up of “vulnerable” and “courageous.”

This word has been traveling with me and seems especially called for right now...

 Most of us carry stuff around with us every day. A wallet. A phone. Important papers. A computer.

But there are also invisible things that people carry. Worries. Ideas. Traumas. Dreams.

These invisible onboarders help to determine your life.

I remember when I was 25 and I moved to New...

Yesterday started out cool and rainy. I caught up with an old friend of mine in the University town of Erlangen, Germany, north of Munich. We had breakfast together in a delightful café with a fabulous menu. 

I’m the kind of person with a talking piece in every pocket, so I laid...