I sat at a table surrounded by a variety of delicious scents that could represent both breakfast and lunch. I was there with two of my colleagues as we enjoyed food from a Coney Island-style diner and connected before holding a planning retreat later that day. Very naturally, without any prompting, our conversation moved toward our origin stories — meaning how we came to join our work team and do the work we do.
Of the people around the table, I had been with the organization the longest, so I already knew how all three of us had come to this workplace. But you can tell an accurate story of external events, and it’s still not the full story. The three of us shared what we were thinking internally, what we were processing at the time, the questions we were asking ourselves about our lives, and what we were dreaming about — including what gave us a sense of energy or even a sense of calling.
It was so lovely to share those stories with one another. And even though I work with these people daily and know them very well, I still learned new pieces of their stories, and I shared things they had not heard from me.
It’s interesting that it’s rare to know fully when we are in an origin story.
Maybe some pieces of our lives are moving or changing. Maybe we’re going through a transition. Maybe we’re asking a question we’ve never asked before. Maybe we see a need in the community or in ourselves, and we know there is a gap that needs to be addressed.
Whatever it is, we might be in this kind of experience right now.
All of our daily internal movements are significant. They’re always leading us somewhere.
What if we’re in an origin story right now?
