My life has been devoted to being a story miner. It’s become second nature. Sometime when I was growing up, I decided I would always hunt for people’s story, and hunt for the good in them.
It reminds me of the old Neil Young song that goes “I’m a miner for a heart of gold.”
It is sad so many people shy away from telling stories about themselves and their experiences. I think we have such a media rich world full of talent today that a lot of people compare themselves to the stars, and don’t think they and their story is worth telling.
Nothing is further from the truth. There is that wonderful line that Marianne Williamson wrote that was then used by Nelson Mandela that goes:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You don’t have to climb Mt Everest, rescue people at sea or run 100 kiometres to have a story to tell. In fact the most simple stories, and the heartfelt stories of the little things in life are the things we long remember.
We should never shy from sharing our experiences, they in fact may offer a great deal to people that we do not even realise. We are social beings and our survival depends on sharing stories.