The Power of Stories

Stories, especially books, are one of the most sacred & have been some of the absolute most transformational influences in my life…

I remember when I was a child, I was always stocked with books! Stacks from the library, or the rare precious brand new books I was delighted to pick out at a local bookstore. This was the best… wandering the aisles, picking a book based upon the cover, the pages, the summary, the feel… fully choosing it because I was interested in reading it. Not based on any public opinion, bestseller list, or current fad. Simply because it called to that eager adventurer & imaginer within me!!! Some of my FAVORITE books - to this day - I discovered this way! Books almost “no one” has ever heard of, that drastically impacted my life & my self for my entire life!!

Reading… my childhood was chock full of me reading! From reading under the covers frequently with a flashlight so my parents didn’t catch me up late, to reading on the front porch when my parents made us kiddos spend more time outside, & everything in between.

Reading was life. Reading was delight. Reading was one of the only things that ever made sense to me.

In stories, things made sense.

My favorites were usually grand adventure stories, often with magic & stunning nature settings, and always with feel-good endings.

Reading about characters who acted with courage, immense bravery, deep honor, kindness & compassion, honesty & integrity, and who stood up for what was right in their worlds - the embodiment and act of these virtues always triggered something deep and true within my soul…

While kids at school were worried about being ‘cool,’ judging or making fun of other kids, or trying to be the most popular, people in my books cared about real stuff - they cared about what really mattered.

I felt like I could relate to characters in my books more than any real person I knew in my life. The Lord of the Rings was the epitome of this for me. It was and still is my favorite book series of all time.

Having an immensely traumatic childhood, the values & life perspective of The Lord of the Rings was the only world that made sense to me.

I clung to these characters, to my books with my life…

In a world utterly disorienting after facing death, living in flight or fight trauma for 2.5 years, and then having to go back to school & life as if everything was “normal” and I was a “normal kid” again (read more about my journey here) - nothing made sense.

Nothing in the real world made sense.

But books made sense. The characters in my books made sense.

They got it.

They were alive with the truly important things, risking life & reputation to stand for and embody life, kindness, honor, equality, love, goodness… it was all I could relate to.

…Realizing and owning the preciousness of life…

…Cherishing every moment for the fleetingness & temporary nature of it…

…Living for something much bigger than oneself - acutely aware of this bigger life purpose weaving through one’s daily breath, existence…

THIS is what made sense to me…

And this is STILL what makes most sense to me!

In books, the characters were people I looked up to.

I yearned for courage & self-integrity like Aragorn.

Feminine heart & ferocity like Marian.

Resilience & unending endurance like Frodo. 

Wisdom & eternal sight like Gandalf. 

Adventure & brilliance & quick-thinking like Annie.

Strength & cleverness like Pup!

These are just some of my favorite of dozens and dozens of the figures that shaped my childhood.

My biggest role models were characters in my books.

The embodiment of values that resonated deep within my soul, the living of what matters most.

As I neared adulthood, I started to think that childhood stories were maybe just cute - cliche - too cheesy idealized stories about values that everyone knew and got already.

And then I became an adult.

And I realized that truly, those stories were the truest expression of what our world truly needs most…

When I was a kid I thought adults were good, that they had it all figured out, that the earth was predominantly governed by goodness & kindness.

Hah.

I realized how wrong I was.

When you realize that the world you thought was good, was actually ruled by so many of the shady, slimy things you read about in stories’ villains, you realize that the values of goodness & love are genuinely what this world needs.

I became in awe of these stories after this realization…

Even more so than when I was a child.

These stories that could sound so cliche, so cheesy, so simplistic or idealistic or childish…

Are in fact, I believe, what are and always will be true:

That love wins.

Goodness prevails.

Light & joy & hope are the true dominant forces of reality.

Wishes, dreams, magic are real & the most essential aspect of our lives!!!

…If we choose it to be so…

…If we choose to believe in them…

…If we choose NOT to let the darkness and cruelty of modern day society close our hearts, dampen our bright eyes, or cut off our wishing souls…

If we choose to live in a reality of hope, joy, love, wishes, magic, & dreams come true…

IT WILL BE SO.

We create it.

We ARE MAGIC.

The true nature of reality is magic, wishes, dream creation, miracles, and delight beyond our wildest imaginations!!!

Society wants to tell us this isn’t true. This is only in books, only in fairy tales.

Society wants you to believe life is hard, sucky, shitty, what the f*ck ever.

DON’T.

BUY.

INTO.

IT.

Have courage.

Go forth with honor.

Be led by hope.

Reclaim your birthright & identity as a MAGICAL, MYSTICAL BEING.

Reclaim your inner power to create your life, reality, and everything you ever dared desire!

RECLAIM YOUR BELIEF IN MIRACLES.

It’s who you are.

It’s what the universe really is.

IT IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT.

Stories continue to be lifeblood to me… a life line to a one world that feels true. Good. That makes sense to me.

Characters in my stories continue to inspire, uplift, and BRING OUT IN ME THE TRAITS I YEARN IN MY HEART & SOUL TO BE! TO EMBODY!!!!

ALLOW STORIES TO MOVE YOU.

Pick up a book! Let her surprise you!

BE LED BY JOY, ADVENTURE, DETERMINATION & IMAGINATION.

Be led by hope. Wild belief. MIRACLES.

LET YOUR LIFE BECOME THE GREATEST STORY & ADVENTURE UNFOLDING OF ALL.

I know mine is.

:)

Much love,

Jenna