I love context. 

When I think of context, I think of story. Every living thing has a story. An origin story. A timeline of situations, circumstances, and events that contribute to how one shows up and expresses oneself in a particular environment or setting. 

Is that true or not true?

When I consume information (podcast, video, audio, book, real time interactions/conversations, etc), I love the backstory. I’m very curious about people of a certain age who have achieved some sort of measurable life outcome, and ‘the story they tell’ about ‘coming of age’, most specifically their early experience of school. 

To pass over one’s school experience and assume that was then, this is now, could be one approach to living day. in an authentic and relevant way. This assumes one is continually moving toward new outcomes and being curious about what is happening in what appears to be a current reality.

Another approach is to be curious about how early experiences connect to current reality. More importantly, how one thinks about early experiences. One’s thoughts tell a story. A story can be told many different ways through many different filters.

Speaking of timelines, I have about ten minutes to land this post.

What sparked this thinking for today’s post was a book I am listening to as a result of a Know Thyself podcast interview with Jim Kwik. 

Great story. 

Reflection:

1. What’s your story? Assume you were being interviewed and the first question was to tell your backstory in three minutes. 
2. (or…) What is relevant and necessary to share general context regarding how you show up and express yourself in day., in five plot points on a timeline of your life to now?
3. How would you describe early experiences in the school environment and the impact they have on your current interests and what brings meaning and purpose to your day. ?

Go.

Here’s the 2020 excerpt from Something More. Connecting to the pulse of a Shared Humanity.

And if you have an Instagram account…here is one of my favorite videos about ice cream licking: