The Importance of Telling Your Story

Who are you?  What do you do?  What is your story?

We are asked these questions all of the time.  As human beings we are enthralled by the human condition and what makes us ‘us’.  We want to know how other people define themselves so we can, in turn, define ourselves.

When is the last time you told your story?

Telling your story can be difficult.  It can force you to pull up things about yourself that you may not necessarily like.  Perhaps your story doesn’t seem to be headed to a happy ending.  Your story may seem more like a tragedy, or a dark comedy.

However dark your story may seem to be, telling your story in some form is important for not only others, but also for yourself.

Know Where you’re Going

Your story is your journey.  There are multiple paths that you can choose to walk on, and each path leads to a different outcome.  

What path are you on right now?  Where is that path leading you?  

Do you feel good about the path you are walking down right now in your life?  

If you don’t feel good about the path you are on right now, why not?  

What can you do to change your direction?  It may be time to take a detour.

Inspire Others to Act

Telling your story is important not only for you, but also for those around you.  Hearing other people’s stories can inspire you to act, and the same can happen if you tell your story.  

You may think that your story is not inspiring, but you never know what someone else will take from hearing your struggles and accomplishments.  

What struggles have you gone through in your life to get you to where you are now?  

What accomplishments can you brag about?  

What advice can you give to others through telling your story?

Strengthen your Identity

Who are you?  Telling your story can help to answer this question.  Take note of your strengths and your values.  

What do you find to be important?  

How have you utilized your strengths to get you to where you are today?  

By telling your story, whether it be to yourself or to others, you can start to pinpoint what in your life gives you joy and what is merely ‘so-so’.  Focus on what is important in your life and what you love to do in order to start becoming the person you were meant to be.

If you are interested in writing your own story, but don’t know where to start, check out revolution.is, a website dedicated to people telling inspiring stories about their lives.