~ Kristen McGuiness

Have you ever felt “changed” by a book? Those who love to read–and write–know what it’s like to become lost in a story, feeling along with characters and experiencing their trials and triumphs along with them.

Kristen McGuiness, founder of Rise Publishing and author of Live Through This, believes in the power of storytelling as a tool to create understanding and change while building alliances for the greater good. An activist against injustice from a young age after losing her father to a long prison sentence, Kristen believes in storytelling as a way to share experiences and encourage others to see a different point of view. 

Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we believe that broadening perceptions to include those of others is part of building resilience. When we are willing to look through a different lens, we learn and grow, as well as create alliances with others. Tune into this week’s episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more of Kristen’s wisdom and pick up your copy of Live Through This. Be sure to listen for these additional bits of brilliance:

• Books aren’t banned because people are ‘afraid of turning gay,’ for example. They’re banned because we recognize that story connects us and the fear is that a perspective will be changed and you’ll become an ally of something others don’t like or endorse.

• If we have the desire to write, we are often writing from a place of pain or hardship, and of someone who has had to overcome that. That is always a story of justice to me and of justice being served in some way.

• The systems in which we live, like a five day work week with only two days off, can keep us from feeling we have the time to be socially active. We need to make a choice to build more justice in this world.

We can make change. Let’s be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO, 

Mary Fran & Kristin