A Storyteller’s Reflection
#2020 is the new “Nek minnit"
The only thing certain about the past year has been its uncertainty. 2020 is now a number synonymous with changed plans, disappointments, and a general, crazy sense of upheaval. We’ve had to question so much of what we normally take for granted. We’ve all had to exercise our adaptation muscles. We have all changed. But we can decide the direction these changes will take us. In the words of Eric Hoffer:
In times of change, learners inherit the earth.
We don’t control the world. We control what we learn from it.
Unsung Aotearoa began as a COVID-19 lockdown reflection. My experience of that forced pause taught me to look around. When I did, I began a journey of discovery and celebration.
Writing this blog has been an adventure. I’ve learned about the dreams, talents, thoughts, and ambitions in the people right next to me. I’ve met the hero in each person I’ve interviewed. I’ve been shaken to the core. I’ve laughed until I cried. And I’ve enjoyed every, single, second of it.
Creating Unsung Aotearoa has changed my life. I don’t want that change to stop now. So…
Let’s keep learning.
The journey has only just begun. While there are no future posts planned for this blog (for now) the most important bit won’t change: The attitude of celebration.
This is has always been a blog about discovering the everyday-kind of remarkable which is part of being human. We can do that everyday by thinking of and looking at people differently.
We are still aiming to make big dreams happen by starting small. We can continue to break stereotypes, diffuse difference, and highlight the shared miracle of our humanity, one double-take at a time.
But this journey needs YOU!
That’s right. Unsung Aotearoa needs you if all the thinking, planning, and writing is going to amount to anything.
What do you need to do? It’s simple: Share.
Yes, share these stories and stories you find on your own with everyone you know. Spread the word.
Point your friends’ and whaanau in this direction, in the direction of the hidden heroes in your life.
Because the best journeys are the ones we walk together.
So keep your eyes peeled. Your ears to the ground. Your heart open.
There are more stories to come. More people to celebrate. More miracles to discover.
This is just the start. I can’t wait to see the change that happens next.