“Make your life a story worth telling.”
I came across this quote not long ago, and it struck a chord. A quick Google search will tell you that it is attributed to Adam Braun, best-selling author, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Work for what matters, fight for what you believe, connect with people who help you stretch – and make your life story a worthy and powerful legacy. A hearty amen to that.
Interestingly, in a world full of inspirational quotes turned social media memes, I found this phrase had some staying power, rattling around my brain for days afterward. The reasons why are worth taking a minute to explore, particularly as we stand here on the brink of yet another year.
First, the last couple of years for me have been an exercise in living a more intentional life. Being more thoughtful in how I spend my time, stretching to do new things and just generally reflecting more on the how’s and why’s of everyday life have all been big parts of that. So has a fair amount of thinking about purpose – what we choose to do and why. Finding passion and purpose in the midst of daily lives that can often seem mundane is not an easy objective. I’ll admit I’ve not entirely cracked it yet. But the pursuit is a worthy one nonetheless that continues to loom large for me.
Second, it’s the “story worth telling” part. Now that’s something that I spend a lot of time on in my professional life as a creative marketing professional. The makings of great stories are all around us. I believe that a key ingredient in a great story is authenticity. Whether we’re talking about brands or blockbusters, a great story resonates on some level that is real and human, and in so doing it creates a connection. Today, the web and social media have created a podium from which almost everyone can share the life story of their own creation with the world. Are they all great? No. In so many cases, they lack that authenticity. A digital landscape filled with smoldering sunsets, selfie filters and manufactured experiences has amplified online peer pressure to a degree that can easily make even the above average feel more than a few hashtags short. But are there great ones? Oh, there are. Real, funny, sad, personal, human, great. These are the ones I admire.
The social media age has brought with it plenty of criticism for what’s been described as a narcissistic obsession with sharing one’s own life to the point of minutiae. It’s true to a point; it’s a lot sometimes. But I always think of a speaker that I heard at a conference on digital media not so long ago who was discussing the dynamics of niche interest groups and social media. By way of explaining this phenomenon of publishing everyday life, he cited the innate belief of the millennial generation that they had a right to take up space in this world – both physical and digital. That struck me on a much more profound level than the business implications. Maybe because it made me realize that it was exactly what I’d never had, though I had never articulated it just so. It’s why I found it easy to tell any story other than my own. Why I often self-censored to the point of silence. I never really had the courage to believe that my story was worth telling.
It’s not perfect. It’s sometimes joyful. Sometimes boring. Sometimes difficult. But it’s my very own. And from now on, I am making the choice to believe that it’s worthy of sharing.
