What’s Your Story?

Everybody has a story. Some are happy, some are sad, some are dramatic, unbelievable, and/or inspiring. And though most people don’t think too highly of their own personal story, the fact is that everyone’s story is important. Which leads us to the question: What is your story?

Before you start panicing because you haven’t ever thought about this before, it is essential to first understand two things: First, you get to write your story. Second, your story is not finished. So from that perspective, your story is whatever you want it to be, and it cannot be disputed! Why? Because it’s yours…

Regardless of our life experiences, it is up to us to choose what we take from them and what we leave behind. Some of our most painful experiences can be our most enlightening while some of our most pleasurable can turn out to be our most empty. It is all dependent upon the perspective we choose to have.

Would you say you’ve had a great life, a terrible life, or a mediocre life? Whatever your answer, you are 100% right! Though your answer might not be how most people would answer for you, no one can argue against your perspective. It’s your perspective. Just as it’s your life.

Now, if it is true that your personal perspective on your life is true and the only perspective that matters, why would anyone choose to see their life as terrible or mediocre?

For some, I suppose the idea of having a life full of trials and tribulations gives them both reasons and excuses for their lack of accomplishment or their negative perspective. For others, not having anything extraordinarily great or terrible in their past contributes to the current underwhelming state of their life’s situations. But, other than to use for excuses, why someone choose to have a terrible or even mediocre story?

Do you have a extraordinary story? Why not?

Many times, I have sat with people who considered their story very normal or average… They grew up in the Midwest, the child of an average family, they went to an average school and worked at average jobs. Or at least that was the story from their perspective.

From my perspective, they’re story was far from ordinary… They grew up in Nebraska, surrounded by an ocean of corn fields. When they were in high school, the served as the Editor of the school newspaper and played the second lead in the West Side Story. In college, they fell in love, got married, and had two kids before they had even graduated. After college, he got a job for with a local newspaper and worked their for 36 years, before retiring and spending the rest of his years with his wife of forty years.

Now, to someone who grew up in Nebraska, the corn field adage might not seem very impressive. But for someone who grew up in Brooklyn, an “ocean of corn fields” sounds crazy!! To a mechanic in L.A., being a newspaper reporter might sound wild! And to a thrice divorced International Lawyer, being married for forty years is more than amazing!

The same could be said about your life. The only question is what perspective you choose to see it from. It’s your story. Why not make it extraordinary?