Tell the Story. Now.

There is only one time any of us truly have: now.

No, it isn’t convenient. No, it isn’t fair. And no, despite all our planning, striving, and bargaining, we will never fully control what comes next.

What we can do is influence this moment. And storytelling, if we’re courageous enough to work hard and with others, can transform the world - not just for ourselves, but for others who are quietly waiting for permission to believe their story matters. This is the power and the gift we hold in our hands right now - whether you recognize it or not. We can help you find it if you’re ready to go on an adventure.

I keep thinking about a moment in Stand by Me, where Chris Chambers (River Phoenix) confronts his best friend, Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton) walking the train tracks through a forest. Chris isn’t gentle. He isn’t polished. He’s urgent. He calls Gordie an asshole for even considering not taking the advanced classes, for shrinking himself to stay comfortable, for letting fear and loyalty to the group keep him from stepping into his gifts.

It isn’t fair, Chris says, for Gordie to waste what he’s been given. That moment lands because it’s not really about school. It’s about responsibility - to yourself, and to the world that needs what only you can offer.

Most of us know this feeling. We sense there’s something more we could say, create, share, or become, but we wait. For better timing. For permission. For certainty. For fairness.

None of that is coming.

What is here is this moment. What is here is the need. What is here is a world hungry for honest stories—especially the ones shaped by struggle, love, loss, resilience, and hope.

If you feel a nudge, quiet or loud, that you have something inside you that wants out, listen to it. That nudge doesn’t mean you have it all figured out. It means it’s time to begin.

And if you need help discovering your voice, believing your story matters, or learning how to shape and share it, I invite you to Stand By Us in our latest Cinema Therapy class inspired by Stand by Me. We do this work together—gently, courageously, and with purpose. We have a track record of Success Stories(™), and I encourage you to listen to them and even meet with them ahead of time if you have any questions, concerns, or doubts. 

Because we all know Parkinson’s, for now, only moves in one direction. So if not now, when? If not us, then who will make the changes needed for all of us to live better?

The world will be watching in May at the World Parkinson’s Congress. We will be there and we’d like you and your story to be there with us. Sign up to tell your story today so that when the moment comes, you’ll be Standing With Us. 

• Robert Cochrane, PhD