Do you subscribe to a bunch of email lists? Yeah, me, too. However, there are only a couple I read religiously. Mostly friends’ blogs, but there are a couple others.
I’m sitting outside the restaurant I valet at and I’m passing time reading emails. Alexandra Franzen had recently sent something out. Do you know Alex? She’s kind of a big deal in certain circles. She’s got a beautiful way with words, and frankly, I love a beautiful way with words. So, I typically read her stuff.
I’m non-chalantly cleaning up my inbox and Alex links this post where she’s talking about a web designer who actually loved to teach yoga. This guy planned to travel the U.S. once his daughter left for college.
As I’m reading Alex’s post, the same thing crossed my mind that just crossed yours. Wow! That story sounds pretty familiar. That’s pretty much Stu.
Well… I thought something just a little bit different…
Tell your story, no matter what
At this point, I’ve left out a pertinent bit of information. Earlier in the year, I went to Dave Ursillo‘s Yoga + Writing retreat. Dave’s guest was Alexandra Franzen. Alex lead a workshop about how to tell people “what you do.”
And when it came my time, I told Alex I have these two things: One keeps the lights on – and one keeps me lit up.
That “guy” in Alex’s story isn’t someone similar to me. It is me.
But, believe me. It was not easy to sit in a room full of people who seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do, be, or become… and say “I’m still figuring this out.”
I could have just picked one or the other and committed to it… but I told my story. You should, too.
It doesn’t seem that important to me. I’m just doing a couple things, right? But, Alex found something more important in it. She saw a way for people who are still trying to figure their own stuff out, to talk about where they are – to invite a conversation.
And what better way do we have to sort our own stuff out than being forced to have a conversation about it?
What is someone else going to find from your story? It isn’t for you to always know. All you need to know is that telling your story is like showing people art. Some people like it. Some people don’t like it. And some people get “something” out of it. And that’s why you’re here.
Just tell your story. It is important to someone.
