In my early 20s, I had a close encounter.

Whether or not you believe in spirits, ghosts or a non-human world doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. But this story might offer a thoughtful take on helping to define your tribe!

I’ve always been fascinated by curiosities and the unexplained.

I collected the PG Tips cards as a child and loved my parents’ Reader’s Digest Unexplained Mysteries of the World book. Many other popular culture entities and things captured my imagination, but as I grew older, I lost my curiosity. I didn’t feel I could have conversations about ‘supernatural stuff’ as I entered employment and started to take on more responsibility. It was almost one of those unspoken taboo subjects that only a minority dared raise.

The close encounter

My experience occurred while training to become a complementary therapist –in anatomy and physiology, reflexology, aromatherapy and massage. It was a career change and to halt anyone with the question poised on their lips, no longer practised.

I was in Nottingham in a newly renovated business centre learning lymphatic drainage massage. The treatment is a detoxifying massage technique, gentle yet powerful in activating the lymphatic system responsible for maintaining blood, fluid and lymph flow.

All students were partnered to give and receive a massage using the technique learnt. Massage beds were spread evenly around the outside of a large room and there were about 30 students present, including the tutor – let’s call her Tori.

About halfway through the day, when I was giving the massage, there was a slight kerfuffle at one side of the room. The atmosphere turned heavy, and trepidation loomed.

A few minutes later, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tori pull a curtain around the bed she was standing by. It was like the ones you get in the hospital to provide a level of privacy. The action was strange, and we all glanced around the room at each other with questions forming on our brows.

Moments later, a pained wailing came from behind the closed curtain. At the same time the energy in the atmosphere nosedived. It was as though something had come in and sucked the very life out of the room.

Everyone stopped practising lymphatic drainage massage and nervous chatter hummed.

The wailing had stopped and a few minutes later Tori appeared through the curtain and politely announced that today’s class was now finished and asked everyone to pack up and leave quietly. She ended by saying she would explain everything to us the next day.

That evening I had a pounding headache and felt quite sickly.

The morning after

The following morning, everyone gathered in chairs, laid out theatre style and waited patiently for Tori to sit at the front of the room.

I noticed a couple of students weren’t present and assumed they were connected to the incident from the day before. Again, there was nervous chatter in the room, but the atmosphere felt clear this time. Open. Fresh.

Tori took to the front of the class with another student by her side. She matter-of-factly explained how the building we were learning in was previously a cotton mill and that yesterday we had encountered the spirit of a little girl who had died while working at the mill.

The student standing next to Tori was a certified medium. Let’s call her Marie. Tori explained how Marie had realised what was unfolding and, because of whatever she ‘saw’ or ‘felt’ in the room, had come over to offer her support to Tori and the distressed student. This was the point at which the curtain was drawn.

To paraphrase what was revealed next: the little girl’s spirit had taken a shine to Tori at the beginning of the course. Tori had spent considerable time with two students to perfect their technique. The cause of the wailing, audible from the student receiving the massage, was due to the little girl’s spirit entering their body – out of jealousy!

Marie quickly worked her ‘magic’ to contact the spirit girl and guide her ‘over to the other side’.

Now, believe what you will about this story, but I know what I saw and what I felt in the moment. And it’s still imprinted in my memory almost 20 years later.

Why am I sharing this story with you today?

I haven’t shared this story with many people for fear of being ridiculed. Not everyone is open to having conversations about ghosts, mediums or alternative realms and it’s easy to be labelled as a ‘weirdo’ by someone who thinks in black and white.

There are two main reasons for sharing this story:

1. Not everybody will be in your audience and even fewer people will be your ideal client. But that’s OK. You only need to speak to those willing to listen, feel compelled to connect and want to learn more. Most businesses talk to everybody and, by doing so, miss out on essential nuances that help an ideal client feel deeply connected.
2. People suppress experiences, thoughts, ideas and desires because they think it’s not ‘normal’ and that others will ‘judge’ them. I used to care about this. I worried about other people’s opinions. But why? Why should you suppress something because of what other people think? Opinions are just that. A single point of view that is neither right nor wrong.

I’ll be sharing more stories like this. Not because I have anything to prove to anyone or even myself. But because I want to be a source of encouragement to the people who take the time to read these stories. To show people, who may have also shied away from speaking about experiences or sharing values through fear of how others will receive them, they can feel comfortable communicating in their authentic voice.

It happens such a lot in life and business. Many people who start a company or embark on a journey feel they must censor part of their personality, values or why to conform.

I know that many people are confident, even overly opinionated. But many are not, and ‘hello’ if that’s you, I’m speaking to you. Have the courage to speak up and share your story. Talk about the experiences that have impacted you and are part of your personality. Your experiences have shaped who you are today. They have etched your values and beliefs and form part of your ‘why’ when it comes to business. You are the guide destinated to help your clients. But why?

I believe that through storytelling, we can reach, help and serve others for the greater good. Whether you are selling a service or a product, if it helps someone to grow, in whatever way, however big or small, surely that’s worth sharing? Surely that’s worth standing up and being seen and heard as the real you.

Be curious. Be brave. Be you.

I’m curious and want to be an experimenter, researcher, adventurer, and teacher. No, scratch that, I am a curious experimenter, researcher, adventurer and teacher in life. I guide people in finding their authentic voice and sharing it through the copy and content they write. When authenticity is lost and writer’s blocks (in many guises) pose obstacles to sharing clear messages, it can take an injection of creativity to find it again.

Tapping into your imagination and drawing on life is one way to share meaningful messages with your audience. It’s a way to build your reputation as the real you. Are you ready to share?

I’d love to hear what you think of this recount. Here’s an opportunity to connect or to embark on a healthy debate!

If you would like to read more meaningful stories and learn about repurposing life and storytelling in business, I invite you to access my brand new Scribbler’s Scoop!

Find it here: https://marketavenue.kartra.com/page/ScribblerScoop