If you’re reading this, that means you’re considering contributing a personal story for my 30 Days, 30 Stories bike ride across Italy. And if you’re doing that, thank you!!!
This April I’m planning a follow-up to the Biking the Euros ride across Germany I did last summer by biking for 30 days across Italy. I’m calling it 30 Days, 30 Stories. A goal of my last ride was to share my own stories of meeting personal challenges with hope, courage, and connection. This time, it’s my hope to share unique stories from 30 people I’ve had the pleasure to get to know in my life.
The purpose of sharing these stories – and for your contribution – is to remind all of us that we’re not alone in the beauty and struggles of life. Just as I was hopeful that sharing honest stories of my mental health journey last summer might positively impact those who followed my ride, I believe you have a story that can speak to others as well. Whether it’s a story of a joyful moment, one of perseverance through personal challenge, a story of experiencing the beauty and awe of the world around us, or whether it’s one that reminds us to laugh in the face of adversity, I know you have a story to tell. I would be honored by your contribution.
The theme for these stories is, Creating beauty through courage, hope, and connection. Your story could be light-hearted or deep, funny or sad, one of struggle or perseverance. At its heart, your story is a story of connection. And it’s a story of creating beauty, in whatever unique way beauty has played out in your life. I encourage you to be open and honest, and as vulnerable as you’re comfortable being. That being said, I would never expect you to write about something you’re not ready to share in a forum like this. Whatever your story, I believe our personal stories have the power to touch others, and I have no doubt yours will do just that.
I’m planning to begin my ride the second week of April, so I’m asking that you complete your story by the beginning of April. The length of your story is up to you, but you could aim for a story of between 750 to 2,000 words. Stories I’ve written that could serve as examples for you to read are My Story and When This Heart Waits.
I am thrilled that you’re considering this, and I sincerely hope you’ll choose to share your story!
Please be in touch if you have any questions at all, and keep reading for a few final things to consider and that might help you with your writing…
Connection
I see the concept of connection in three different ways. Self connection, or connecting to your thoughts, feelings, and desires, accepting yourself fully for who you are, and living authentically in a way that’s true to you. Human connection, or connecting meaningfully with others. And world connection, or connecting to things in life from nature to music to art to culture to sport to whatever lifts you up and makes your heart sing. If you choose, your contribution could be a story of a meaningful connection in your life.
Creating Beauty
Beauty can be anything that touches your life, that brings you joy, gratitude, or perhaps even deep sorrow. It can be the physical beauty of art or a blooming flower or a beachside sunset. It can be the beauty of passionate love or of a devoted pet or of a dying loved one. Beauty can be music or great food or the collective effervescence of your team winning the championship. But how do we create beauty? For me, anytime you experience beauty, you are an active participant. You are stopping to marvel at that sunset, you are pausing to reflect on the full life of that loved one, you are appreciating that art, you are feeling gratitude for the flowers you’re discovering on that path. You are not passive. You, by the sheer act of acknowledgement and admiration, are creating your own moment of beauty, a moment that will never again be repeated in the history of the universe. If you choose, your contribution could be a story of a meaningful moment, or series of moments, when you created beauty in life.
This is a guide meant to help you, but please feel free to be as creative as you’d like with the story you share.
