I had a meeting the other day with a team of powerful women, with one aim; to improve our Public Speaking skills in the area of story telling. One by one the women gave their stories, but the stories I remember most are the ones they told about their personal experiences; some of the stories were quite moving and emotional; it made me realize that everyone has a story that either broke them or that has made them to the person they are today. We all have a story – some more fascinating than others, some have turned us angry and bitter, others may have broken us or made you have a hardened heart, some have changed the way we view life and act accordingly. I know YOU have a story. These stories are at times what makes us behave and act the way we do, knowingly or unknowingly.
I think the most important part of our stories is the “so what”. So you went through this, so this happened to you, so this… then what? Does your story end in pity or does it end in hope? For every story, there’s a handful or more people that have gone through similar experiences and there are many more that shall go through the same.
Our life experiences make us all unique, and create in us an empathy that becomes geared towards people with similar experiences. What do you do with your life story; do you tell it so that people can feel sad or pity for you? Do you tell your story to receive favor? How does your story serve you? Is it just a personal story that you don’t intend to use because it has affected you so deeply and it’s safer to keep it hidden and beyond reach? I know many people who’d rather not share their stories and would prefer to keep them bottled up hoping that ignoring it makes it easier.
Looking at the highly respected people in our societies both present and past; Oprah Winfrey, Miles Munroe, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jim Rohn, they all have a story behind them. Were their experiences so unique that no one else had gone through them? Not at all – many of us identify with their stories because they are familiar. So what makes their stories unique? It is the so what! What did they do with their stories? They chose to use them by taking action; action to overcome, and went further to help those in similar situations. They chose to use their experiences to make their spaces a better place for others just like them. They chose to not cry about their stories or feel pity, but instead to rise above the challenges.
This is my challenge today to you. What’s your story? Why should your story matter? How can you use your story to help those in similar situations? If you’re able to respond to the above, you will have achieved your purpose in that story better than the 90% who’ll do nothing about it.
