What's Your Story? (And Yes, You Have One!)

Everything we've experienced to this point plays a part in our overall story. And they don't all have to flow together neatly into some overused Heroes Journey (though, it is overused for a reason, I'll grant you.) The story I most often tell is how I left my job. I use this to illustrate how vital it was for me when I finally started paying attention to my introversion. But you might not know about the time I first built an online course. Which was an abominable fail. I didn’t sell one, not a sausage. Now, I tell this to clients and when I give talks or do workshops on building a career online, in order to illustrate how bloody important it is to do thorough testing before putting your heart & soul into something. I also have stories I may never share: stories of unrequited love, rejection, regret, shame. These stories are for me: their purpose isn’t to remind me of the harshness of life or my wounds: they are here to remind me that I lived through them, and came out the other side, a little bruised and battered, but stronger for it. It doesn’t matter if they pale in comparison to stuff you hear about on the news or read about in memoirs. They still have their place. In each story, I can see part of me that transformed because of that pain or challenge or disappointment. I wouldn't want to forget them, because they are part of me today. Just like you know not to fuck with the past when you’ve got a time machine: I know I wouldn't change a thing because God knows what I'd be like without those experiences.   Resources mentioned: More on Narrative Therapy  The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell Stoicism for Creative Intoverts   POWERED BY PATREON This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters. BECOME A SUPPORTER