“Why would anybody want to ready my story?” was the innocent question asked by a client in a recent strategy session. And it’s a question that I’ve heard repeatedly from aspiring authors.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to answer that question, and what I’ve discovered is that my answer is based on a series of my beliefs about the purpose of our lives and the role of story and books.
I hope that by sharing these beliefs you will be inspired to share your story with others.
Cathy’s Credo
I believe that we are created with a purpose.
I believe that we each have value and significance.
I believe that we all have unique experiences that shape our lives and provide us with a perspective not shared by anyone else.
I believe that we can help others by sharing our stories, our experiences, what we’ve learned along the way.
I believe that when we tell our stories, we allow others to bear witness to the purpose of our lives.
I believe that everyone can help someone by sharing their story, especially stories of how we’ve dealt with adversity.
I believe that our stories give others the gifts of hope, wisdom, encouragement, laughter, insight, joy.
I believe that you can never know the full impact of your story on others.
I believe that if you impact just one person in a positive way by telling your story, that impact gives meaning and purpose to your life.
I believe that books are the documents that contain our stories, and therefore, help to document our purpose.
I believe that is it holy work in writing and telling your story, and it is also holy work in helping people tell their stories.
What is your purpose? What does writing your story mean to you? What do you believe? I welcome your comments and thoughts about the power of sharing your story as testament to your purpose.