Shared Experiences
Telling your story gives you the ability to share and get perspective from others. Share your story with the people around you, and invite them to become a part of it. Get feedback and see what new insights and direction come up!
Congrats! You’ve reached the last step in this journey! From reflecting on your strengths and interests and putting your ideas into action, to creating an impact and telling your story, you have all the ingredients to developing and defining purpose in your life, both now and in the future.
How you define purpose in your life will grow and change, no doubt. As you have different experiences, take on new life projects, or encounter new people and sources of inspiration, you can take these tools and return to them whenever you want — you always have them to lean on.
If you want to keep exploring, feel free check out the library for additional activities, tips and tricks.
Telling your story gives you the ability to share and get perspective from others. Share your story with the people around you, and invite them to become a part of it. Get feedback and see what new insights and direction come up!
Storytelling can actually help you build relationships with the people around you. When we share our experiences with others and hear their thoughts, it can often help us see our own stories in a new light. Read this article about the importance of sharing stories.
Think about the story that you want to share with others. If you would like to revisit a story you’ve written or need ideas to get started, you can always go to Draft Your Narrative.
Set An Intention
What do you hope comes from sharing this story? Do you want to inspire others? Build community? Set an example? Get advice? Spark a conversation about something that matters to you?
ABOUT YOUR STORY
What is the intention behind your story?
Make A Game Plan
How might you share this story in a way that aligns with your intention? Work through the details of how you plan to share your story. Once you create a game plan, practice telling your story with your chosen medium.
1. AUDIENCE
Who do you want to share with? It could be a person or a group.
2. TIME
When will you share it and in what context?
3. LOCATION
Where will you share it? Pick a location you feel comfortable in.
4. MEDIUM
How do you want to express your story? In which format?
Share Your Story
Tell your story! It’s okay if it doesn’t go completely according to plan. The important part is the act of sharing with people in your life. After you share, ask your audience to reflect and share their thoughts. You can use this guide or come up with your own:
Ask others
Keep Writing Your Story
This story is one of many stories you will write about in the "book of you." Continue to capture new reflections and sharing new stories that are important to you. What you choose to include (or exclude) will change over time, but you will always have the tools to explore, reflect, and develop a sense of who you are and what matters to you.
A story is always evolving. The way you tell your story now might be different from how you would tell it a year ago. Take a little pressure off yourself to tell the “perfect” story by reframing it from a fixed narrative of events to a growing and changing perspective, opinion, and message.
Any writer will tell you that a story is never truly finished— yours isn’t either! Even if you don’t feel ready or just want to edit a few more things, get your story in front of someone. No matter what point you’re at, if your story lives in your head, no one can hear it. Challenge yourself to put your story out there before it’s ready.
You will continue to keep writing different stories over the course of your life. Remind yourself that one story doesn’t define who you are. When you tell a story, reflect: What did it feel like to share this story? How did it help me see things differently? What other stories might I want to share?