Hello, Sherry here. I understand that most visitors don’t read a company’s ABOUT page. I get that it’s not something that calls the attention unless the customer really loves the brand or has a sense a loyalty to the story.

But that’s why my daughter Alexandra and I are here. We’re two storytellers who find inspiration in life stories shared, and through the course of our own journeys (personal and those of our two small businesses), we’ve really latched onto the value of the stories we tell and how they impact a healthy state of mind.

We’re enjoying our personal adventures as they unfold, and for anyone else who wants to make a statement, live and grow in an ecosystem of positive thinking with a little cleverness thrown in, our newest joint venture is for you.

 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER TRANSITIONS

In 2016 Alexandra left home. That is, she left the United States to turn a corner in her young life and pursue a dream. Some of the baggage that held her back was gone and she dived into work and life in Lima, Peru. As her mother I sniffled, crossed my fingers for her safety and success, all the while feeling genuinely impressed by her courage to take a leap.

For me it’s been a decade since I’ve adjusted to the empty nest, and now I’m the proud and attentive grandmother of two. My husband David and I are acclimating to issues of aging which means tending to our health and life changes with grace and humor. I’m focused on becoming a sage—giving back where I can through action and wisdom and living by example on what it means to grow older because the story never ends.

Thanks to technology Alexandra and I talk most every day. We discuss what is going on in our lives, who we believe ourselves to be right now and what we think about our past. We reflect and discuss on these topics from the perspective of two women at different chapters in life, and as mother and daughter.

THE MOTHER-AND-DAUGHTER BONDING PROJECT

We are both project-driven, so it wasn’t long into our daily visits that we decided to work together on an idea. We collaborated on a game called Tell Me Another which is focused on storytelling—and strategic fibbing. There are rules (because Alexandra, a game enthusiast, is all about rules) and there are great prompts to start conversation and share personal stories. We’ve played the game with family and friends and have been thrilled to hear other positive experiences of people connecting and learning new things about each other through stories.

From that project we delved into another. We always talk about our state of mind—our feelings about who we are and where we want to be—and at the core of these talks we consider how to continue making improvements while feeling more relaxed about who we are in the meantime. Storied Gifts Shop is the culmination of our belief that healthy minds come from balanced thinking. In our shop we hope to infuse, insight and invite positive ways to look at life into daily practice so that others can enjoy their best storied lives.

THE THOUGHTS WE CHOOSE

Thoughts whirl by in our heads on a kind of conveyor belt at breakneck speed, a reflection of the stories we tell ourselves repeatedly. Unfortunately, many of those thoughts are negative ones.

Although we don’t like feeling pain, our brains sometimes seem bent on processing thoughts in such a way that we feel nothing but. You probably know the kinds of thoughts I’m talking about—those that tell you not to try because you’ll fail, or later that you’re a loser because you have failed. These thoughts whisper and nudge and we’re left to chew on them repeatedly, telling us our lives aren’t interesting or proclaiming that we’re each alone.

Is it any wonder that a chronic diet of negative thoughts bolsters those feelings of sadness and isolation? And when we are in that frame of mind, how can we draw proper conclusions or take the best next steps? And those feelings, even though they are temporary, often become our identity. We can’t see any future of who we are beyond those feelings in the moment.  

SUPPORTING A HEALTHY MIND

If you’ve read books or heard Ted Talks by self-improvement experts such as Brené Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, Byron Katie or studied The Three Principles, then you know that a constant diet of negative thoughts is out of whack with reality. There’s an awful lot of good you can find when you look.

It’s not that we don’t have challenges, losses and blows in life, but it is the perpetual thinking (and the way we think) about them that distorts our view of everything. But to disregard the painful thoughts is to miss the point. Think about it like a conveyor belt of thoughts as they race along. Among them are positive thoughts, too, but we tend to ignore them and place too much attention on the negative ones instead.

In an self-scornful state of mind those negative thoughts are heightened and distorted with messages that are too severe and unfair. If we find the means to pay those positive thoughts their due attention, we begin to see what is possible and good. This habit of focusing on the positive enables us to take a second look at pain and loss as a means of learning, growing, and breathing in the life we have now.

Of course, knowing this doesn’t make changing the negatives any easier. We need to be reminded pretty constantly that it’s okay to acknowledge negative thoughts and then give them a rest while considering what inspires us and makes us feel good.

WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE, 2.0

Our method to sport positive thinking is what led us to launch the Storied Gifts Shop. We want to support others with helpful mantras, inspirational quotes and images to encourage optimism and by providing the set of lenses that highlight the silver lining.

Within Storied Gifts Shop you’ll find beautiful items of clothing, jewelry and home décor designed to celebrate and keep good thoughts top of mind. Many of the items have been curated from other sources  while others are designed by this mother-daughter duo to speak to ideas of strength, courage and hope.

OUR FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

We promise to seek and share pleasing pieces that will inject positive thoughts into the daily grind. We pledge to be responsive when you have questions or concerns about items you purchase from Storied Gifts Shop.

We look forward to providing you stylish, fun and inspirational pieces that:  

• Are of high quality

• Give you access to clever items not available in brick-and-mortar stores

• Take into account customer feedback and ideas as they are shared

We look forward to hearing from you on this journey of strengthening a healthy state of mind. Like everything in life, this is a process, and we look forward to the journey as our real success. Please share the mantras, quotes and ideas that bolster you and keep you on track.

OUR OTHER BUSINESSES

Alexandra is the founder of Content In Motion based in Lima, Peru. She helps her clients fulfill their business goals providing winning content and deploying strategies to make their stories sing. She’s living the life in a city she loves with a supportive partner and the many daily reminders that her life has become what she dared to dream.

Sherry is a personal publisher of family and company histories based in Des Moines, Iowa. She helps her clients curate and share their stories with those that matter most. Sherry has been married to artist and teacher David Borzo for 30+ years, is the mother of two, and a proud grandmother.