There are few things more valuable to share with others than our stories. From our stories we learn from each other, we understand each other, we connect, we grow, we evolve.
Our stories create bonds and friendships: indeed our best friends are those who own our story completely with us.
Think about the theatre and movie industry: it is all based on this idea. By sharing stories we learn, we grow, we evolve.
However, there are some cases where our stories get misused, misinterpreted, misunderstood. Indeed not everyone is ready for our story. Here are some examples.
The person who judges you, shames you or fears you is not ready for your story. They are too trapped in their ego to make space for the life and consciousness of someone else. They will therefore not learn from your story, rather they will distort it and misuse it to confirm their own belief system, to gratify themselves or to stay stuck in their shame and fear.
The person who uses your story to get attention. In this category I would place the majority of news channels and mass media. The aim of these people and entities is not to learn and grow from your story, but rather to use it to become the center of attention. They usually distort your story in order to create drama and emotional reactions in people and drag attention to themselves.
The person who uses your story to feel superior to you. This person has insecurity and self esteem issues, and rather than using your story to grow and learn, they try to use it in order to feel superior to you. This person is interested in finding weaknesses in you through your story, fragilities and vulnerabilities for the sake of looking at themselves as stronger, better, wiser, smarter than you.
The person who defames you and hates you. This person is the least one to deserve your story. This person will distort your story completely with the aim to publicly paint you in a really bad light, and to destroy your reputation, image, career and life. This is by far the most dangerous person to tell your story to. Again, a lot of mass media belong to this category, and they specifically use people they call “criminals” in this way.
Humanity is not perfect, we do not always communicate in the clearest, most purposeful and effective way. Our shadows and ego are often in the way of our authenticity, growth, evolution and ability to connect to one other. Sharing our story therefore is not an easy task in this society.
However sharing our story is essential, to keep the world growing. Our stories contain the value of lessons, perspectives, ideas, skills, abilities, love, and much more that we share with the rest of society. They are a precious gift with which we leave a legacy in the world before our departure from it. Indeed it is through our stories that our species has evolved and grown to this point.
Think of the stories of heroes, of people who have changed the world, of scientists and explorers, of inventors and creators and artists and of people who have overcome great struggles in life and of entire civilisations. Think of the story of your favourite books and movies, and how they have deeply shaped your life, and indeed everyone’s life.
As long as we keep sharing our stories, our lives will leave a mark in the world. We will leave behind us the purpose of our life, and all the gifts that come with it.