Tag: inspiration

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07.13.23 | Arts & Culture

What Amanda Gorman Teaches Us About Storytelling

At Sage Collective, we’re all about those personal journeys and the stories they create. And when someone like Amanda Gorman uses her talent to share those journeys, it’s impossible not to sit up and take notice. Gorman, with her poignant words and masterful storytelling, has offered us some great lessons on expression.

Telling Your Truth with Boldness

Gorman’s work brings forth an essential aspect of storytelling: raw, unfiltered honesty. A great example of this is her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” where she candidly paints the picture of a nation divided, and uses this as a canvas to craft a vision of unity and resilience. It’s more than a reflection on America’s political scene—it’s an intensely personal story of hope and unwavering determination. This courageous sharing of her perspective is a reminder for us all: the bumpy roads on our journey deserve as much recognition as our triumphs.

One thing that sets Gorman’s storytelling apart is her knack for weaving her personal stories into universal narratives. Despite being rooted in specific experiences, her stories strike a chord worldwide— a testament to the shared human experience we all are a part of.

So, when you’re sharing your story, remember, your unique journey is part of the much larger, grand tapestry of human life. Seek those threads that tie your personal experiences to the bigger narratives.

Harnessing the Power of Poetry

Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” also highlights the compelling allure of poetry in storytelling. The rhythmic cadence, vivid imagery, and intricate metaphors all come together to create a concise, yet deeply moving expression of her experiences and emotions.

When sharing your story, don’t hesitate to employ a touch of the poetic. It’s not about composing verses, but more about using language in an artful way to add layers and richness to your narrative.

Inspiring Change Through Storytelling

What truly makes Gorman’s work stand out is how it transcends the beauty of language; each poem, each story, is a call to action. “The Hill We Climb” is more than just a reflection of the present—it’s a clarion call for a better tomorrow. In this, Gorman teaches us that our stories aren’t just relics of the past, but catalysts for inspiring change. By sharing your experiences, you too can foster empathy, understanding, and even trigger action. Your story holds the power to inspire others and spark transformation.

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07.21.22 | Arts & Culture

Personal Statements and Manifestos

As we continue our Vibrant Living Programming, we also want to resume sharing rich content that compliments our spirited training, and this month’s theme is freedom. Along with independence and opportunity, freedom can mean many things to many people. Today, we’re exploring how independence inspires purpose, how personal manifestos can propel that purpose even further and how you can create one of your own. 

A personal manifesto performs as a declaration of what you truly want from life, which makes it the perfect tool for engaging personal independence. Traditionally, you might know manifestos as published statements declaring the intentions or beliefs of organizations, similar to our Vibrant Living Manifesto. However, manifestos are fluid and can be similarly used by individuals to act as both a statement of ethics and a call to action and are powerful in giving life meaning and direction.

Whether you’re in search of a guiding compass, a frame, a reminder of your priorities or simply inspiration, creating a personal manifesto is sure to provide your life with a foundation of additional meaning and direction. Learn how to write your own below: 

Begin your manifesto by writing down your values, beliefs, behaviors you apply to life and other areas you want to address. If you’re having trouble thinking of what to write, it might be easier to ask yourself questions about those themes. Remember, personal manifestos are exactly how they sound, personal, so yours is likely to be unique to itself. 

After creating your list, start to transform each point of interest into active, declarative statements; use powerful language, don’t worry about the length and remember to keep it uplifting and positive. When finished, make a copy and put it somewhere you will see every day; your manifesto could be the perfect tool for vibrant living, write and live it now!

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11.12.20 | Community & Lifestyle

Vibrant Living Breakdown: Life Purpose

We don’t believe in living a passive life; we believe we should be active participants in our own health, wellness and happiness. That’s why Sage Collective created 9 Ways of Vibrant Living, a model that champions high-quality living, and the backbone of our philosophy. Today, we’re unpacking the second of our nine components: life purpose.

At Sage Collective, we see life purpose as what we give back to our families and communities, or the implementation of efforts to better ourselves through our personal growth of knowledge, skills and abilities. 

True to the notion that we should each be active participants in our lives, having a life purpose puts us in the driver’s seat, and provides us with guidance, clarity and intention to help navigate each day we live and the decisions we make. Rather than allowing things to merely happen to us, living life with purpose means we challenge ourselves to pursue growth, change and meaningful experiences that fulfill us. 

It provides a measure of success, based on what’s most important to us. And in the pursuit of that success, we become more driven, more passionate people. This focus also provides added layers of gratification, knowing that we’re living with integrity and staying true to our own values. Having life purpose, therefore, leads to us living happier, more fulfilled lives.

And when we personally experience purpose and joy, we then have the opportunity to share that with others. Having life purpose doesn’t only transform your own experience, but it transforms the experience of those around you, creating an impact that is long lasting and felt widely. 

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