“My story is boring….” Is that true?

In all my 30 years as a journalist, interviewer, reviewer and commentator, I have yet to come across a single human being who doesn’t have a unique story to tell.

However, they did not necessarily know that they had a story to tell.

Why? There could be many reasons. There’s a part of them – probably a protecting or controlling part – that is telling the story that they are dull and boring. This part, or parts, are there for a reason, and that’s to protect a vulnerable part of that individual, usually a child self. In this way the parts protect the exiled child within by telling everyone there is nothing interesting about this person.

We judge ourselves to be boring, uninteresting and ordinary in order to stay safe. But by doing this we are hiding and playing small. By telling our true story we might answer someone else’s prayers.

Another reason is that we are often blind to our own story. After all, we have lived it, we inhabit it, and we are still on the pages of our own book. We take our story for granted, however compelling it might be if we told another person.

I’ve noticed this so many times, especially when talking to enlightened business owners who are trying to work out how to get more clients or find their tribe. They will be vague about what they do, or minimise their achievements, or set too much store by their qualifications and work experience.

But all I want to know is, what is their story? How did they get to where they are now? What life experiences sent them down this particular path? Why do they want to be of service?

Sometimes they will drop a detail into a conversation, a passing comment about their personal history. This often stops me in my tracks because I can’t believe they haven’t told me before. For whatever reason, they haven’t thought it was relevant or interesting. Such comments have ranged from “I had breast cancer” to “I arrived in England on my own after my parents had put me on a boat from South America”.

Within those short sentences there is a rich seam of story ripe for excavation. There is gold there, ready to be brought into the light and shared with the world.

Think about the life experiences you may shrug off or dismiss. Think about how you might diminish yourself in order to hide and stay safe.

And when you’ve done that, tell me your story. I can guarantee I won’t find you boring or uninteresting.