Stories that demand to be told | #57
“The question isn't whether to adopt AI; it's how to lead authentically while everyone around you outsources thinking and feeling to machines.”
Welcome to Ochre Sky Stories, a home for writers from the workshops and courses facilitated by
and .This is the 56th edition of Stories that demand to be told, a curated spread of the most evocative, resonant, real stories.
1. Tell me your biggest fear. And I will tell you mine. ~ by
“I have just experienced some old-fashioned sexual harassment on the tube,” were her opening lines. “He poked me. I said I am not interested in talking and he got racist real fast.”
Disturbing lines for any right-thinking person.
Devastating for a parent.
Any vestiges of sleep dissipated instantly. Time slowed. I felt a hollow physical pain at the pit of my stomach.
I replayed the 30 second video over and over again. Noticing the miniscule details I had missed the first time.
2. Support is a matter of distance ~ by
Distant strangers are the ones who become your system of strength. Friends.
Have you noticed?
It’s in telling someone - completely unknown, a momentary guest in your timeline, been walking through a different reality until this point - about our lives that we find our own perspectives.
Dedicating this in the honour and honesty of the most empathetic, and esoteric bunch of people. The brilliance of this bundle of 22 stars is unmatched in this universe.
Thank you for filling my cup, my strangers turned witnesses. ❤️
3. The AI Companion You Didn't Ask For (Part 3) ~ by
The future leader isn't choosing between human and artificial intelligence. They're learning to dance with both, using AI to extend their capabilities while preserving the friction that keeps them creative, present, and genuinely connected.
In our rush to optimize everything, the unoptimized moments, the pauses, the messiness, and the slow melt are where leadership actually happens.
So here's my question for you: What friction in your leadership are you most afraid of losing to AI?
Because that friction might be precisely what your team or others in your life may need you to keep.
4. Can I slay in a Man’s world? ~ by
Sometimes, no one has to say anything. We do it to ourselves. We internalise the expectation to be the perfect mother, the present partner, the emotional anchor. The second shift begins when the workday ends. And no matter how equal our marriages or homes are, societal conditioning runs deep.
This unpaid labor—emotional and physical—is invisible but very real.
So, Who's Really Running the Race?
All these factors add up. When women hit their early to mid-30s—exactly when they should be stepping into mid-management and preparing for leadership—they’re running a race with hurdles that men often don’t even see.
If men are running unencumbered, how can we expect women to match their pace?This is not a post to crib. It’s a post to reflect.
5. Ali More Angana ~ by
My grandfather fought closely with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the renowned freedom fighter, during India’s freedom struggle in the North West Frontier Province.
They dreamed of an independent, undivided India where Hindus and Muslims would live together in peace. This area coincidently was once ruled by Kanishka, the great ruler of the Kushan empire in ancient India.
In this world that is often torn apart, Ali says he is grateful for the gift of his name. Maybe his name, Kanishk Ali Khanna- a blend of cultures has led to his keen interest in people and places.
As a child he would spend hours reading the atlas and would never get tired of it.
6. What Doesn't Kill You... ~ by
Panic hit hard. Like a gut punch. And it wasn’t just me. The guy ahead of me was panicking too but he was also thinking at the speed of the moving train.
He gave me his sling bag, took my luggage, gave some very rushed instructions in Odiya, and jumped from the train — with my heavy blue suitcase and my laptop bag.
He landed perfectly. Damn!
The instructions were a blur. (I hope they were instructions!). The train was going to pull out of the station in a matter of seconds. Damn. Damn. I panicked. I threw the sling bag on the platform.
And then, I jumped.
No physics, no nuances of jumping, no turning the body in a certain direction to put in motion etc, nothing.
7. Belonging, dignity, acceptance - what are your unmet needs?
~ by
“How do I step up for my own needs and also step up for yours?” said Liv Larsson, encapsulating the goal of NVC in one line.
“Emotional pain, feelings of humiliation, fear of punishment, withdrawal—all these are signals—to protect us, to tell us something we haven’t realized consciously. To guide us towards action. We feel guilt when we are unable to meet everyone’s needs. We need to self-empathize and acknowledge that we cannot meet all needs at all times.”
I asked myself what had made me take this break and travel to Pune for this workshop with my husband. “Suppressed anger makes me very violent in my communication with those closest to me,” I have written in my diary.
8. Journaling means risking a pause ~ by
Upcoming Workshops from and
If you feel called to write in an exciting, safe, joyful facilitated space, with fresh prompts and activities, come write with us again, in our upcoming workshops:
1. The Rhythm of our Stories
Facilitated by and
July and August 2025
Memoir - the transformative power of personal writing - October 2025
Facilitated by
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