Our Beliefs

In earlier days, the hearth or central fire formed the center of family and community life. There we prepared and ate our meals, stayed warm, sang and danced, prayed and celebrated, and…told our stories.

Sadly, in today's society, we seldom gather around the central fire. Instead, we are captured by the bright lights of our television sets and computer screens. And, so, we are losing our stories—our most basic connection to our humanity and to each other.

Storytelling is central to the expression of the human condition. Without stories to give us rootedness, we are stripped of the awareness of who and why we are. Consequently, our world is plagued by alienation, isolation, and mistrust.

To regain our footing, to reconnect us to our humanity, we must gather again at the central fire. There, we can capture and tell our stories, listen to the stories of others, and allow this most basic form of human communication to reconnect us.

Healthy, respectful, and productive relationships are founded on people listening to, understanding, and knowing each other's stories—at home, in the workplace, and in the world community.

By discovering and sharing our stories, we can transform our lives—and our world.