“When you stand and share your story in an empowering way, your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else.”
We all go through difficult times. In our darkest moments it can feel like there’s nobody else out there that understands where we are in our lives. In these times of trouble, hearing the account of someone else who has been through the same issue and come out the other end can be a powerful experience. It can be that revelation that shows that there is hope.
Stories have the power to heal.
Stories have the power to heal. If you reflect on the difficult times of your life and understand your experiences as a story, you can be an advocate and help others in their times of trouble. If you have already walked down a difficult road that someone else is going down, share your story. It is powerful to know that someone else out there knows what it feels like in the hard times.
Listening To stories at our most recent story development workshop
Recently, Self Narrate led a workshop and one of the participants shared a story about when they quit their job after 25 years to pursue a new life path. I was conflicted about some personal decisions I needed to make in my own life about which opportunities I would pursue. Hearing this woman share how she fought with herself but ultimately chose what she knew was right for her, helped me to make the decision I knew I needed to make. Her story healed me in a way that I didn't expect. It gave me the confidence to listen to my heart. Our stories have the power to heal.
By sharing your story, you heal yourself as well.
The amazing part is that by sharing your story, you heal yourself as well. By sharing your story, you internalize your experiences and reveal to yourself the strength that you have. By recounting difficult times, it helps you realize that you can overcome anything because you already have.
fROM MY LAST NIGHT WORKING AT cIRQUE DU sOLEIL: lA nOUBA.
In that same Self Narrate workshop, I shared the story of how I was faced with a huge conflict a few years ago: career or family. Which is more important? I was beginning a theatrical career but I also had a newborn daughter. I began to realize the theater lifestyle and that of being a parent were not compatible for me. I chose to give up my theatrical ambitions and focus on my family, figuring out another career path along the way. For years, this was my secret shame. I was happy that I chose a relationship with my daughter over my own ambitions, but I never felt that I could share this with anyone. I felt like I gave up. Like I was a failure. It wasn't until I started sharing these experiences in Self Narrate workshops as an example of a time that I had to make a hard choice that I actually began to look at the path that I took as an indicator of my strength and resilience. It helped me heal that mindset of shame.