We are all storytellers. Actually, let me revise that: we should all be storytellers.
I'm not talking about tales of fiction with fairies and princesses and happily ever after. I'm not just talking about the stories that make us feel good to tell, the stories that make us proud of ourselves. It's easy to tell those stories, it's easy to tell stories that show us in the best light, stories that makes us feel good inside. But you know what? Those aren't always the stories that NEED to be told.
Everyone needs to hear those painful stories; stories of heartbreak, failure, regret, and isolation. Not because we are some sick and twisted individuals, not because we are pessimistic, but because we need to know that despite how these things make us feel, we are not alone.
It's those stories that are hard to tell, the ones that get stuck in your throat, that need to be heard. It's those stories that let others know they aren't the only ones and there are people like them who have experienced something similar. We al have stories that only we can tell, and while our stories may all be different, the struggle is something that we all know too well. And just because we don't talk about it, doesn't mean that it's not there, eating away at us.
You know what happens when you tell your painful story, when you share your experience? People listen. Whether they identify with you, help you work through it, gain knowledge, or are inspired to share their story as well, your story has impacted them at some level. But that's not the end, there's even more magic in store for you; each time you fight your tears and battle past that lump in your throat, that painful experience loosens its grip on you and you grow too.
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