Image courtesy of Bob Knorpp
“Tell our story, man. Please tell our story.”
This was not the usual homeless bravado. You know what I mean. The homeless person who approaches with his or her well-rehearsed pitch for money. This was desperate and as serious as his chemically-induced state would allow him to be.
“Tell our story. Please.”
He wanted my friend and me to tell his story — my friend with her camera, and me with my words. There was only one trouble. He had no story to tell.
“The man was a drug addict living on the street. The end.”
Does that sound heartless? Does it sound sad? It doesn’t matter. It’s the truth. The man had no story. He was a secondary character in someone else’s play.
Then as we walked away, a bit disturbed by the encounter, my friend offered the thought, “That could have easily been me, if there hadn’t have been someone to show me what my story could be.”
In that moment it hit me how important story is to our ability to live fully. It is not just core to our ability to succeed. It’s not just something that determines if our lives are interesting or not. This is the lifeblood of our survival. Without a story of our own to tell, we have no reason for living. This man had lost all purpose for being. Because he no longer had a story to tell for himself.
Our lives are the stories we write for ourselves. And too often we lose sight of this. We allow ourselves to be victims in the stories of others. Or we write a part far smaller than the epic we could become. And when we do this, we give away our power to be great.
“…if there hadn’t have been someone to show me what my story could be.”
What do the voices in your head tell you? The voice of your father? The voice of your mother or siblings? Do they tear you down? Do they make you feel small? If they do, let me be a new voice in your head today”
“You are an amazing creation. Beautifully and wonderfully made. Perfect in every way. And you will be a blessing on the lives of others today.”
Start your new story here. Start it now. And thrive.
Robert Knorpp is host of The BeanCast Marketing Podcast at thebeancast.com and is President of The Cool Beans Group, a marketing strategy consultancy based in New York City. He likes laughing even more than breathing. You can follow the madness on Twitter at twitter.com/BobKnorpp.
