Embrace Your Inner Storyteller

Many of us seem to have our heads in one screen or another.

If we’re not checking our social pages or the news, we’re house hunting, or catching up with the various housewives. By the time we’re ready for bed, we have several people’s stories swirling in our minds. It’s easy to get distracted from our own story when the drama around us demands our attention. We lose sight of our own narrative, often comparing it with someone else’s. We forget that we are unique unto ourselves and thus there is no comparison. Our stories are not like the others. They shouldn’t be.

I know for me, it took years to find my voice; what surprised me was that I didn’t have a single voice. I had voices. I have stories in my head I haven't put together yet, marinating, saying things I wouldn’t usually write about. Yet, I couldn't let them out.

I was so in love with Toni Morrisson’s work, I wanted to sound and write like her. In the early years, I didn’t share my writing at all. I wasn’t confident in my work. But I continued to write down moments that mattered, that happened and made me who I am. I realize each moment, year, child, job, relationship is an unfolding story with every new experience creating another chapter in my New York life.

How about you? What moments are you capturing? Write down the random memories that come to you, no matter how small or insignificant. What do they all have in common? Noticing what comes up can be healing and empowering.

This week, take 10 minutes each day to write about a moment from your life that still makes you smile. Relive that memory for just a moment. Embrace your inner storyteller and let your memories guide your pen.