Why you need to tell your story

For most of my life, I didn’t think I had a story to tell. By society’s standards, my life has not been hard enough to merit any sort of special attention. I believed that people wanted to hear a true hero’s journey. The kind of stories that they turn into movies. I thought they wanted to hear the struggle that pulls on your heart strings and the success that brings tears to your eyes.

A few months ago, I read the book Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle. I remember being unable to it down because a part of me couldn’t stop thinking “this could be me!” I related to her struggle with food, sex and alcohol and I shared her desire for authenticity. After finishing the book, I realized what we are really looking for is the person that shares a part of our story and reminds us that we are not alone.

We all experience our own challenges and we all have our own heroic moments that come with completely different details. What resonates for one person may not even be heard by another and that’s ok. Your story might not be for everyone, but it is certainly going to be for someone. It’s time to embrace our unique authenticity and stop hiding the parts of us that have the greatest potential to connect us.

When I look at my own story, I know that there is someone out there who is going to relate to my tumultuous relationship with alcohol. There is someone who is going to understand how hard it is to figure out who you are when you’ve spent your entire life being the person everyone else expected you to be. There is someone else who is going to share the heartbreak of divorce and the friendships that fell apart. There is someone who is going to appreciate knowing that I left the comfort of a 6-figure corporate career to brave the unpredictable jungles of entrepreneurship. There may even be more than one person who has shared my lifelong struggle with loneliness and feeling like I didn’t fit in.

Although these are all parts of my story, I refuse to let these moments of growth and learning define who I am. I continue to commit to the healing work that I need so that I can talk openly about my life's lessons. If we can stop attaching ourselves to the labels that used to define us, we can experience the freedom of becoming who we are meant to be. You are not the worst thing that’s ever happened in your life. You are strong and resilient because of the experiences you have overcome. You are a survivor and you have a gift that is waiting to be shared with those who are going through it now. Please let your voice be heard.

I want to remind you that each and every one of us is here for a reason. We are here to explore our individual truths and grow into the magnificent humans we were born to be. Today I invite you to be a beacon of light. Heal your story so you can share it with the world. Do it for the one person who needs it most. And if you need a courage mantra, I recommend this one from Brene Brown. “If you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.”

---

Members of my free subscription, Live Your Truth, also receive inspirational quotes, affirmations and journal prompts for integration. Click the button below to join and receive your bonus content.