Why Tell Your Story
Can you imagine a world where nobody would tell their story? We wouldn’t hear about a loved one’s day. No more human interest profiles in the news, magazines. No memoirs.
Our world would lose its spark. We’d miss out on inspiring ideas, lessons learned through the missteps, mistakes, situations that people navigate. We would understand less. And we’d feel more isolated and alone.
Human Stories Nourish Us
Humans like to listen to other humans. Human stories are not only a source of pleasure but a source of knowledge. Human stories also help us feel connected to others and to ourselves. WE can see that we are not alone in having thoughts or experiences that may not mirror what we see in our daily lives whether because those around us are not sharing their authentic selves or because we are different in some unique way.
Fear of Sharing Our Own Stories
Yet when we think about telling our own story we think people will judge us, we’ll be ridiculed, something about sharing our story will push us into exile.
Earlier in 2021 after delivering a free workshop, I was so mortified by sharing my ideas that I landed in bed for two weeks in what Pete Walker calls an emotional flashback. I thought everyone who attended would immediately drop off my newsletter and worse that those people who were friends and acquaintances would stop talking to me and even kick me out of the writing group I had been joining.
My embarrassment was extreme but I later realized it was a nervous system response. It wasn’t conscious or I would see I was overreacting. But my body didn’t know I was safe. Only after a few people shared their thought was I able to crawl out of this state. A lovely new acquaintance reached out to me and told me she enjoyed my workshop. I had another friend tell me what she learned from it. Slowly I came out of that flight/freeze pattern and returned to myself wondering how can I overcome this nervous system response?
What has kept me showing up and sharing my work is this drive to help people who are shy or following advice to make people scared is my desire to show people there is a way to show up authentically and make the difference they want to make in the world.
Why We Need Stories
My way had been film. I was comfortable behind the camera sharing the stories of others through documentary filmmaking. But to step in front of the camera I had to learn a way to stay present.
Here is what has helped me and how I help others see that sharing our stories is possible. I realize that humans are interested in other humans. And sharing our story not for glory or affirmation or reward but to genuinely touch another person and help them see what is possible is a generous act.
When we have a wish to help others and we’ve had a massive change in understanding ourselves, sometimes you or me, we are the person who has the experience that can help another human come to a new way of understanding, adding your research and knowledge to a world that is changing.
Often, sharing how we realized something was a possibility, problem or solution has more power to capture the attention of an audience than shouting out a headline about something needing to be changed.
This is why podcast interviews with artists and entrepreneurs are so engaging. We hear people’s stories and how they came to do what they do. And as author and writing coach Lisa Cron’s says, we are wired for story.
Staying Present
My own journey of being able to share my stories has been one that started at the intellectual level and had to move to the body. I had to start noticing when I was triggered and what triggered me. I had to notice when I would slip into flashbacks and out of the present. I had to notice that I was okay even if I made mistakes and people dropped off my newsletter. And slowly I took more steps. In June I did a podcast interview. I felt really uncomfortable but I survived. In July I interviewed the painter Jamila Barkat and for the first time spoke about my own art work on my podcast, This Beautiful Shot is Not an Accident. And now on Saturday I’ll be doing another interview for the That Sounds Interesting podcast by Frank Daly.
When I was going through the shift it felt like I wasn’t moving. Seeing where I am today I see I’ve made a major shift. And I did it by staying present one day at a time.
Inspired Listening
My challenge to you is to sink into the couch and listen to a story by someone you admire. See what inspiration they pass along through their story. What inspiration do you with to pass along? Imagine that by sharing your story you can inspire another human to show up and see new possibilities.
If you are interested in help developing your story, learn more about Story Consulting here.