When I was a little girl, I didn’t belong.
All my friends were boys who seemed to have more fun than me because they got to do “boy things” that little girls weren’t allowed to do.
I had the answers in the school classroom, but learned not to raise my hand because I didn’t want the other kids to call me a brown noser.
I wanted to play soccer and join the drama club, but I didn’t try out because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be any enough.
I grew up repressed, lacking self expression, and constantly doubting myself.
***
When I was a little girl, I created a world of my own.
I’d spend hours playing outside with my little brother, catching frogs and snakes. I carried A Golden Guide to Insects to look up the name of each insect before putting it into a terrarium to keep as a pet.
I lost myself in books for hours every day and dreamed of other worlds.
I led my friends in elaborate games of hide and seek that involved clues and scavenger hunt type adventures. We built forts, created guidebooks for our club members and spoke our own secret language.
I grew up to walk my own path and trust my inner wisdom.
The Sneaky Truth (Lie?) About Stories
Both of these stories are about me. But which is true?
Both. Neither.
In fact, both of these stories are lies.
It would be impossible to express in words the entirety of my experience growing up, and summarize it in a few sentences. Even if I spent a lifetime writing my story, those words could never contain the actual truth of my experience.
And yet, telling a story is one of the most powerful things we can do.
I might tell the first story to describe what it felt like to be an outsider, how it kept me from living as the fullness of myself, and how it led to so much pain that I needed to find another way. My way.
I might tell the second story to illustrate the fact that I was always creating my own reality, even when I didn’t know it at the time, using my gifts and expressing my joy.
Neither one tells the whole story, or even the truth, but both are worth telling.
The Story That Lies and Tells the Truth
What story are you telling about your life? About your business?
Your thoughts weave stories that can inspire you to reach for your dreams…or give up on them forever.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you try to eliminate your negative thoughts or use them to tell new, empowering stories.
While that might make things go easier for a time, it seems to me that thoughts come and go like the weather. There’s not much, if anything, I can do to control them.
And thoughts are never the truth, just like stories.
But…
Something magical happens when you tell a story.
Your stories sing through your blood, vibrating with the essence of everything you’ve experienced and your desire for all you’re here to create.
When you articulate that essence as a story, dropping all the extraneous crap shrouding the beautiful expression of you…
Your story moves people. It draws them in. It connects with those who share your story.
It entrances, builds trust and reveals what’s possible.
Your story is a vehicle of transformation when you use it to communicate your purpose.
Your story isn’t the truth, but it points to the magical, transcendent, pure essence of You beneath the words.
When I touch that story, it makes me fall in love. It makes me remember who I am beneath the words of my own story.
That’s why story is essential in your marketing.
Your story is not meant to be crammed into a formula.
It’s meant to be sung from the rooftops at the top of your lungs without caring what anyone thinks.
And when you do, those words broadcast the essential, joyful expression of you into the world where it resonates through your business, your marketing, and is understood by your customers.
Your story points to the truth of what it is to be human that we can never fully understand or communicate.
Your story is the lie that changes the world.
Let’s Tell Your Story
I’m searching for spiritual entrepreneurs on a mission to change the world in alignment with their integrity, passion and lifestyle. No hustle or hype required. 🙂
If this is you…
You’re invited to have a free Wild Creation session with me.
WARNING: this isn’t a “discovery call;” it’s a real session where you can create and explore anything you like. There’s no pressure and no sales talk unless you’re interested in learning more.
Yes, I’m searching for people who’d like to have a longer-term coaching adventure with me, but this is my free gift to you.
If you’re curious…
Tell me what inspires you here.
Yours in creative play,
Steph
