Where We Carve Our Stone
- Lisa Askins
- Sep 27
- 2 min read
Every mark matters.
I’m standing next to the Puakō Petroglyph field, feeling time stretch in both directions. There are thousands of carvings etched into the stone. Pictures of family groups, animals, circles and spirals, and canoes.
These are more than just carvings. They are records of relationship. To land. To lineage. To meaning. To the sacred thread of continuity that runs through every human life.
We often think legacy is monumental, something reserved for leaders whose names fill books. But the petroglyphs remind us: every mark matters. Each gesture of care, each choice aligned with integrity, each moment of connection is a carving into the shared stone of time.
Our modern carvings may not be etched into lava rock, but they remain. Some are digital. Some are relational. Some are invisible impressions left on the people around us.
Questions that Open the Heart
What unseen records of relationship am I shaping each day?
Sometimes it is the check-in that makes someone feel remembered, the pause that gives space for another’s voice, the tone of an email, or the patience to listen fully. These are quiet carvings of presence and care.
How do I honor the legacies — personal, cultural, ancestral — that I have inherited?
Perhaps it is through a story I retell, a tradition I continue, or a value I protect because it was entrusted to me.
What will others remember, not about my role or achievements, but about how I made them feel, how I stood with them, how I honored their dignity?
The smallest gestures often carry the deepest weight.
We are always carving. Into each other. Into time.
Pause, and give yourself space to consider what you are leaving behind and what has already been left for you.
Let’s talk. If you’re navigating change and want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and connection, I’d love to support your next step.
