Each of the 6 billion people on this planet has a unique story to tell and one that is worth sharing. Because we live in the age of the Internet, it is easier than ever before to share our stories with the world. However, the very same thing that allows us to connect with others, also has the power to isolate us if we let it. There are hundreds of thousands of websites and blogs out there, some of which are already successfully telling the stories our hearts long to tell and have been doing it longer. Does that mean that your story needs to lie dormant? Absolutely not! Just like there are different voices that tell their stories, there are also different listeners that need to hear a different story! Your past, what you love, and what you have overcome all make up a point of view that is as important to your story as the story itself.
How to discover your story
Now that you have realized how important your story is and how much it deserves to be told, it is time to think about what your story is really about. Consider the following questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do for work?
- What would you rather be doing for work (if you aren’t already doing it)
- What makes your heart sing when you think about it?
- What do you spend hours talking to your friends about?
- What gifts and talents do you feel you have to share with the world?
All of these things help to make up your story. For some people, their stories could revolve around throwing crazy, awesome parties for all of their friends and the wild events that unfold from there. For others, their stories are centered in the quiet world of cracking open an amazing book and sharing their insights with a close friend. Some people will have stories of how their kids never, EVER, slept through the night (sleep-deprived parents unite!) and the insane ways they dealt with it. Still others will have heart-wrenching stories of little ones that never made it to this earth. All of these stories, yours and mine included, have a purpose and will bless, inform, entertain, and enrich the ones who get to hear them.
So here is what I would like you to do this week. Grab out a pencil and some paper and write a list of the things that make up your story (No negativity or “I’m not a storyteller” allowed here).
For me, some of the things on my list are designing websites and blogs,my son, my family, knitting, photography, home care provider (I was one before my son was born), and storyteller, to name a few. Yes, amazing-high-fiver, champion-Netflix-watcher, and Starbucks-devotee are totally allowed on this list! Who knows, you might just be the next amazing TV and movie critic, fueled by all of that caffeine and high-fiving awesomeness! In my next post, I will talk about some of those life-story lists and how to turn them into an idea for a blog that will make you excited to share your story with the rest of the 5,999,999 people on this planet!
What do you have on your life-story list? Share them in the comments below!
Mediterranean + traveller + life partner + creative + recession + independence + new found freelance freedom!
Congratulations on your first blog! It’s perfect. Informative, bullet points, storytelling, and a click to tweet! Storytelling is the key!
I can’t wait to read more and love that you had a tweet right smack in the middle of your blog! I’ve struggled with my story for years and have now, finally started figuring it out and even telling it to the world. But, I still want to learn more about how to effectively tell my story while branding myself and my business. Some of the things on my list are single, adoptive mother, singing, family, travel and culture, motherhood, my son, cooking (when there’s time!), nurturer, a true interest in other’s story…and I’m sure the list goes on. Thanks for making me think about this.
So true…each and everyone of us has a unque story to tell, a unique talent and a unique gift to the world!
It’s so true and so important. I know my story, but often forget to tell it. Trying to work on it more, thank you for the reminder!
Ooh, I love this! Me: social media addict, expat, optimist, traveller, problem-solver, teacher
I really like your writing prompts. I’m not great at sharing my personal story and it’s something I would really like to get more comfortable telling. I’m such a reserved person at heart!