Etched in the Heart

View the Notes & Transcript Here ⬇︎

​SUMMARY
It's can be easy to get distracted by the demands of every day life and forget where you are, where you came from, and where you're headed—especially when you don't take the time to create meaningful and memorable connections with your past, present, and potential future. Check out this episode of On a Positive Note to hear an inspiring story of how one man connected with his past to help lead him home after three decades.

OFFER
Hashtag Positivity helps emerging and established leaders experience in their work, life, and community. To see what Hashtag Positivity can do for you, connect with Jonas today to discuss your challenges, goals, and obstacles: www.hashtagpositivity.com/connect

CONNECT WITH THE SHOW
Email: [email protected]
Website: onapositivenote.com

TIMESTAMPS
00:15 Joke about an actor who isn’t Happy
01:22 Insight about
02:02 Positive news story about
05:22 Insight about
06:04 Reflection question
06:21 Wrap up

LINKS & REFERENCES
Associated Press. (2022, January 5). "Child trafficking victim finds family after decades with help of a map." New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/01/05/map-helps-child-trafficking-victim-find-family-after-decades/

HOST
Jonas Cain is a Learning Experience Designer and Facilitator of Fascination for Hashtag Positivity, an educational company that helps emerging leaders and their influencers initiate and manage positive change for personal and professional growth.

MUSIC
“Safety Net” by Riot
“Lightning Bugs” by Geographer
"Hero's Ascent" by Chris Haugen
“A Quiet Thought” by Wayne Jones

TAGS
Positivity, Inspiration, Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Capital, Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, SocialSkills, Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism, On a Positive Note, Positive News Stories, Some Good News

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Transcript

INTRO
Hi everyone! Jonas Cain here with Hashtag Positivity, and welcome to On a Positive Note, the podcast that offers hope through positive news stories, practical insights, and even a little levity.


JOKE
And on that note it brings us to today’s joke about an aging couple experiencing signs of memory loss. Their doctor recommended they try writing down the things they hope to remember, and the couple agreed to give it a try.

The next day, the couple was sitting in the living room when the husband turned to his wife and said:

“I could go for some ice cream. How about you?"

“Oh yes!" The wife replied. "Would you get us some? I'd like vanilla with chocolate sprinkles.”

The husband got up to go into the kitchen, but the wife stopped him, “Wait a moment, dear, remember what the doctor said. Shouldn't you write this down?"

“Nah! I’ll be fine!” he said. "I can remember what you asked for."

Fifteen minutes go by and the husband walked into the living room with a plate of bacon and eggs.

“What is this!” the wife exclaimed. "I told you to write this down but you refused!”

“What did I forget?” he asked.

She angrily replied: "You forgot the toast!"


INSIGHT
Even though this is just a joke, it does point to the truth. It can be easy to get distracted and forget where you are, where you came from, and where you're headed when you don't take the time to create meaningful and memorable connections with your past, present, and potential future. Yet, when you take the time to reflect on and write about what you most hope to remember, you empower yourself to etch your most meaningful hopes and dreams into your heart to help lead you home.


STORY
And on that note it brings us to today's positive news story which comes to us from China, about a hand-drawn map that helped reunite a family after three decades.

In 1989, 4 year-old Li Jingwei was abducted from his village in the southwestern city of Zhaotong in the Yunnan province. Li said he cried when he realized what had happened, understanding that he had met bad people and would never be allowed to return home.

Though he was so young and didn't even know his parent's names, what Li did remember was the landscape of his home village. He remembered the mountains, the bamboo forest, a pond situated next to his home, and all the places he used to play.

Every day for thirteen years Li drew maps of his village until it became etched in his memory and heart. At first he would use sticks to draw in the sand, but when he entered school, he started drawing his maps in notebooks. It was his obsession.

As he got older, Li began collecting clues from his adoptive parents and more recently even consulted DNA databases, but nothing led him closer to finding his biological family.

But one day in 2021, more than 30 years after his abduction, Li posted a video of himself on social media holding one of his meticulously hand-drawn maps. He was able to recreate it from memory in less than ten minutes because of his dedication to preserving its memory in his heart.

Li's post went viral with tens of thousands of views, garnering help from all across China. With the help from social media tips, police were able to narrow down their search and local villagers were eventually successful in identifying Li's family.

Li, now 35 years old and with two teenage sons of his own, first reached out to his mother over the telephone.

"When she mentioned the scar, I knew it was her," Li said.

For as long as can reminder. He's had a scar on his chin, and his mother told him it was caused by a fall from a ladder.

After the phone call, further details and recollections confirmed without a shadow of doubt that Li had found his family, including a DNA test that confirmed his heritage.

On January 1, 2022, Li and his family were reunited in Lankao in central China's Henan Province. Overcome with emotion, Li collapsed to the ground when he first saw his mother. His younger brother and sister helped lift him up and was finally able to hug his mother after more than three decades.

Speaking about the reunion, Li choked up when he mentioned his father, who had long-since died. He now plans to take his children to meet his family at his father's graveside. "It's going to be a real big reunion," he said, adding, "I want to tell him that his son is back."


INSIGHT
It's can be easy to get distracted by the demands of every day life and forget where you are, where you came from, and where you're headed—especially when you don't take the time to create meaningful and memorable connections with your past, present, and potential future.

Taking the time to reflect on and write about where you're headed is a valuable activity that can help you etch your experiences, hopes, and dreams into your heart and perhaps even help lead you home.


REFLECTION
How might you use Li’s story as inspiration to create meaningful connections in you life, to help lead you home to who you truly are?


WRAP-UP
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, and I encourage you to leave a rating and subscribe to the podcast, as that’s truly the best way to let others know about this positive resource.

If you have any comments or stories you’d like to share with our listeners, you can send an email to me directly at [email protected]. And that email is also listed in the description of today’s episode.

Until next time, my name is Jonas Cain and this has been another episode of On a Positive Note.