For centuries, stories have been told around fires. If you had a grandmother like mine, then you probably sat around a fire and listened as she told those PAIVAPO stories. In the western world, they are the once upon a time stories.  I remember my grandmother’s stories, the famous “hare and tortoise,” and so many others. Stories paint a lasting picture; they capture our imagination, enthral us and draw us in. They hold a certain power.

But today, I want to talk to you about your story. Your story is your story; it is your life, experiences, lessons, achievements, challenges, and triumphs. It’s yours, and no one knows it better than you do. No one can tell it better than you. No one can own your story for you.

Everyone can write, and we all have something to share, a testimony, a victory, a gift, expertise. All these are about you and your lived experiences. WE all have a story to tell, and there are people out there waiting to learn from what you have to share. Although you may not want to write a book, you may use your story in a motivational speech, a sermon, or a teaching class. People love real-life stories because they can relate. You are real to them; therefore, they can relate. People crave and love stories.

Readers are looking for answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.

If your story offers a solution, then share it.

If it encourages others, share it.

If it informs and empowers, definitely share it.

Your story is compelling and has the power to influence and motivate others. Think about the key messages you want others to remember and focus on those as you share your story

Let your personality and passion shine through because that is the you that you are sharing. Tell your audience a story, and you will gain their support.  The minute you start to tell your story in a presentation, the whole atmosphere changes and people lean in and pay more attention. Telling your story is the easiest way to get people to believe in you and what you’re about.

Telling your story helps you make sense of your life —

You get to understand why certain events happened the way they did. You begin to examine what has happened to and through you. You begin to make sense of who you are.

Telling your story is therapeutic.

Sharing your story can bring healing and peace, bringing you more confidence and understanding of yourself.

Take the time to learn your story. The world needs to hear it and is waiting for you to tell it. So learn and tell it well. Know why you’re telling it. Give your story a purpose.

Stories define us. Your story defines you. All your life experiences, every month and year you have lived, have defined you. Your tears and laughter have all contributed to the you that you are

History

Why do we read history? Simple, it tells stories of time gone by that teach and give us a glimpse of the past. History allows us to learn from the mistakes and victories made in history. History is unravelled from the stone age to cave dwellers’ drawings to pyramids, before pen and paper, typewriters, and now laptops. So much happened in past decades and centuries; wars, technological advancements, and inventions that needed to be documented and told for future generations. Stories were told from one generation to the next to preserve historical facts.

The Bible is great for telling very colourful stories, and we learn from the likes of David, Joseph, Solomon and Esther. Before they were written, they were passed on as stories, around a fire, in class, passed through word of mouth until they could be written and preserved in books.

So if you have a story to tell, go ahead and tell it; you don’t know whose lives it will touch and transform.