I checked out my good friend’s Instagram story and sent out a fire emoji.
He responded with smileys.
A beep later. I read –
“How about featuring on the podcast”, he asked. He was referring to his recently started podcast channel, @TheTimePassPodcast by Prateek Flix.
In that moment, I laughed it off, dismissing the idea with a self-deprecating remark about myself being too scattered.
Later, as the laughter faded, a nagging question lingered in my mind:
Why am I so inexplicably afraid to share my story?
I didn’t have to think too long as my internal monologue immediately began.
The simple answer is I don’t think it’s significant enough to even be told or if it can actually hold anyone’s interest.
Stories that are told and celebrated are of the achievers. The commoners don’t hold a ground. Why would anyone want to hear a tale that lacks a heroic image, that lacks the rags to riches feel, that may make them yawn rather than sit up? On one hand, I know that my experiences have a lot of intricacies and valuable lessons within them. But on the other hand, I can’t help but wonder if people would even be interested if you have not reached any of the society’s celebratory marks of success.
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At a time when we are in a world that prides itself on connectivity and social media platforms that encourage us to spill our lives in bite-sized posts, one would think that sharing personal stories would come naturally. However, the reality is quite different.
I realize that deep down, we all have stories to tell. Stories that define who we are, shape our perspectives, and connect us to one another. They let the world know what shaped our identities, influence our beliefs, and moulded our perspectives. Why we made certain decisions? Why we behave the way we do and so on. Yet, despite this universal human experience, many of us are paralyzed by fear when it comes to sharing our stories.
But why?
We all know that every person has their own strengths and weaknesses but we still hesitate, concealing our vulnerabilities behind carefully constructed facades, as if the world might crumble if we dare to peel back the layers and reveal our authentic selves? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there is a profound fear that grips us all, preventing us from embracing the power and beauty of our own narratives.
We fear judgment, rejection, and ridicule. We worry that our stories will be met with indifference or, worse, met with disdain. The fear of being misunderstood or misinterpreted holds us back from sharing our experiences. We become prisoners of our own thoughts, trapped by the fear of what others might think of us.
Additionally, there’s the fear of being vulnerable in a world that can be harsh and unforgiving. Sharing our stories requires us to expose our innermost selves to others, allowing them to see the raw and unfiltered parts of our lives. It means unveiling our flaws, insecurities, and moments of failure. And in a world that often values perfection and carefully constructed images, this vulnerability can feel incredibly uncomfortable.
But, at the deepest level, I realized sharing our stories means confronting our own vulnerabilities and acknowledging them within ourselves. It forces us to come face-to-face with our own fears and insecurities. It’s a process which can be incredibly uncomfortable and challenging. It’s far easier to keep our stories locked away, hidden from the world and even from ourselves.
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At the time as I was crafting this blog and staring into nothingness to let the thoughts flow, writing and rewriting, deleting and redoing bits of it, my toddler’s babble caught me.
She was busily playing with a set of colorful ring stack. Her tiny hands grasped the pieces, building towers and giggling in delight as they toppled over. I watched her, completely engrossed in her innocent exploration of the world.
In that moment, it struck me. Storytelling didn’t always have to be to inspire others; it was about connecting with them. I had been so focused on the external impact of sharing my experiences that I had overlooked the intrinsic need within me to connect with others, to be seen and understood.
My experiences, struggles, triumphs, big or small need not be the means to impress others, but as a way to forge a deeper connection with those who resonate with my journey. Not everyone will even relate to it and that’s absolutely okay, it only lies in finding your tribe, the ones you can vibe with.
I’m sure we all have those specific Instagram accounts, blogs, or social media profiles that we purposefully check out to see what they share and hope not to miss anything they say. These are people we may not know personally and have never interacted with. They could be famous or relatively unknown, but we remain a steadfast follower. They may not even be aware of our existence, yet their stories have an undeniable impact on us, forging a deep connection. That’s what stories are for.
Sharing our stories are an act of self-care 🙂
