First there was the war on drugs.
Then there was the war on terror.
There’s a war on poverty, a war on hunger, a war on racism. Those are great things to war against, and there are plenty of strategies to win those wars. First, awareness and campaign building. Then action steps and front line personnel. And, of course, as much policy reform as needed.
But what about the things that aren’t ravaging the globe but rather threaten to overwhelm people individually? Things like addiction, depression, grief, loneliness, abuse, isolation, negative thoughts, cynicism, fear and hopelessness? These are things national campaigns or policies can’t always combat.
But Story Warriors can.
What’s a Story Warrior?
Story Warriors are people who understand they have a story. They’ve been through things — big things, hard things, small things they didn’t think would be hard but were — and they lived to tell about it.
By telling their stories, Story Warriors show people they can have hope for their stories, too. Story Warriors bust barriers of those things threatening people on a daily basis. Story Warriors disarm the enemies that exist in addiction, depression, abuse and fear. Story Warriors aren’t afraid to be honest, vulnerable and authentic about what they’ve been through. Instead, they go head-on into the fray, equipped with a passion for giving hope and a courage to share their stories.
For example, when someone shares their story of surviving a suicide attempt, it can give hope and actually prevent someone else from attempting the same thing. Someone can see other people have experienced the same kinds of thoughts and feelings and chose not to take their own lives or cause damage to themselves and those around them. And one by one, story by story, fewer and fewer suicide attempts happen, people are connected in relationships, and hope is transferred.
What if every single person who shared their suicide attempt survival became a Story Warrior and reached one person with hope? What if that one person decided not to make a suicide attempt? And what if that one person decided to share their story of finding hope and avoiding the attempt?
Story Warriors could change the world. One story at a time.
An Act of Peace
Story Warriors wage war, but it’s not an act of war against people. It’s an act of war against those things that threaten people. Those enemies like depression, anger, fear, loneliness, isolation, addiction, abuse — those are the things Story Warriors wage fights against.
Those enemies and threats shrink with each story of hope told.
Story Warriors have one goal in mind: peace. Not just victory over an enemy, but peace for the oppressed. Sharing stories is an act of war against threats, but it’s really an act of peace FOR people.