Your Story Isn't Finished with Brian Mann

Virginia Woolf once said, “If you do not tell the truth about
yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.” Let me repeat
that, “If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot
tell it about other people.” That is rather scary if you think
about it.


Four years ago, I went through a life-changing, radical,
character-defining, unnerving transition. I’m not going to tell
you exactly what it was because I am not ready to get that
vulnerable, but I will say to you: I am not the same person as I
was four years ago. I thought it was just a choice, until every
day I found out something new about myself.


Here is the strange about it. Of all the things in life I might
have doubted, one thing I did not doubt was I was the world’s
number one expert in John Bash. Nobody knew me as well as I knew
me. How could they? Isn’t that rather self-evident? 


I once heard a woman say, “I’m not much, but I’m all I think
about.” I wasn’t quite that bad, but I did claim a certain amount
of self-awareness. I had my share of psychology classes, two
graduate degrees, was a minister for 25 years, with more than a
few therapy sessions. Doesn’t that qualify me to know myself? In
short, the answer is a resounding “No.”


Have you ever heard the question, “Would you rather be happy or
right?” Most people who ask this expect it to be rhetorical. I
have the kind of brain which doesn’t do well with such questions.
Right or happy? I ponder it. Doesn’t this open the possibility
for a happy idiot? Let’s not dismiss “right” too quickly, right?


I am particularly appreciative of people who can come into such
pondering and help me to think about life differently. Their way
to truth is not nearly as propositional as I would like, is much
more sensitive and caring, and usually includes some fun stories
along the way.


Today we have such a person. Brian Mann is an artist,
communicator, churchman and currently holds the title of Story
Ninja at Citycoast Creative in Sonoma, California.


Welcome, Brian Mann, to Church Hurts And.


ChurchHurtsAnd.org