They say we all have our own story to tell. But I think there is a difference between a story to tell and storytelling. Some of us may have grown up on the wrong side of the tracks so we tend to do some storytelling about our past that may not necessarily be true. We refuse to remember the bad and focus on the good and make our lives to be much better than they actually were. We want others to believe we had a happy and want-for-nothing childhood because it makes for a better story. Some of us may have grown up in privilege with no wants for anything. Yet all in the same, we tend to storytell and focus on the hardships and not remember the good. We want others to believe we had a difficult past because it makes for a better story. It’s as if everyone hides who they truly are, to be something that they truly are not. Reality is, who wants to be the kid from the wrong side and who wants to be the spoiled kid from the other side? It’s a tale as old as time.
I would like to see a world where everyone told their story. Their bare- to- the -bones- love- me- or- hate- me- mock- me- or -pity -me -laugh- at- me- or- hug -me -shake- your- head- at -me- or- praise- me- criticize -me -or -adore- me -think- more -of -me- or -less- than -me kind of story. Their true story, the one that made them into who they are, today. TODAY. We can always focus on the story of now or of where we want life to take us, yet we can get there only by realizing where we were then and all of the stepping stones that made us into the lovely, beautiful, perfect people we are now. Just like in the famous line from the Lion King ‘remember who you are’. So for 2017 I’m asking you, Tell your story, don’t storytell.