A Personal Post: The Story Behind It All

What if your life is a story someone needs to hear?

Do you have a story to tell?

Do you read a book or watch a movie and think… I have a life story that’s even better than that…

Do your friends and relatives tell you to share your experience?

What is holding you back?

Some Common Roadblocks

Maybe you don’t really know where or how to start.

Maybe you think your life story isn’t remarkable or unique enough.

Maybe the thought of sharing something so personal is really intimidating.

What if I told you it is possible to share your story anyway?  Bet you knew that already:)

My Unremarkable Story

In a post last month, I told the story of how my first coach, Dan Miller, inspired me to start writing children’s picture books and then later curriculum for elementary school counselors. Until he provided the guidance I needed to see that it was possible, I had a victim mentality. By that I don’t mean that I was being taken advantage of in some way. It was much more subtle than that. I was simply waiting for a knight in shining armor to arrive in my life and tell me it was time to start writing and publishing my stories. Oh yes and detailed instructions on how to do  it would accompany this announcement!

My interaction with Dan moved me out of the victim role into the role of hero. This did not mean that I was suddenly successful and confident. If anything, I was more nervous and aware of my deficits than ever. The difference was that I now had someone who guided me on how to move in the direction of accomplishing my goal.

As the hero in my own story, I began setting clear goals (not I wish I could goals). I began taking risks, trying new things, asking questions and interacting with others who had been successful in doing what I dreamed of doing. I ran into roadblocks. I failed at lots of things. I often felt frustrated and discouraged. But on the other hand, I also felt exhilarated and alive. I was on an adventure.

Amazingly enough, eventually, peoples started asking me how I had accomplished what I had. I would be at a school counselor conference as a vendor selling my books and people would stop to tell me that they too had a dream… I discovered that I had a lot to share, not only about publishing a book but about marketing and creating a business that is sustainable. I began coaching other in how to begin and market a successful business.

It wasn’t until I started telling my unremarkable story that I learned that telling my story could be an inspiration to others.  It could bring comfort, hope, and challenge to someone else who felt the same way. And then this amazing thing happened.  As I told my story, it became a remarkable story because through telling it I was no longer the shy introverted victim who was waiting for someone to come along and change my life. Instead, I became the shy introvert who moved beyond the story I told myself to be the confident, capable, make a difference in the world person that I am (most of the time!) today.

That’s a remarkable story isn’t it?  It’s a story of overcoming personal challenges, scaling seemingly impossible mountains of doubt and slaying some internal dragons. It is a story of moving from victim mentality to hero and ultimately to becoming the guide in someone else’s story.

Turns out there’s a lot to tell.

What’s Your Story?

There’s a lot of people who need to hear your story to give them the encouragement and the strength to slay their own dragons too.

Maybe you start slowly and cautiously, but please start.  Because your story does matter.

Someone is waiting to hear.

Your beautifully, messy, complicated story matters. Tell It.

Want a step by step guide to telling your story? You can find it in my book: The Call: Perfect Dream, Imperfect Life.  You can find it on Amazon:  The Call: Perfect Dream, Imperfect Life