There’s no such thing as an ordinary life

When I first started to share some of my personal stories, a part of me wondered if it was a little self-indulgent, that I might be perceived as a bit of a show-off or self-centred. Even though I always made sure that I made a wider point that would hopefully inspire my audience, the nagging voice remained.

However, the more I allowed myself to be real and vulnerable, the better the response I got from my readers. People actually thought I was speaking directly to them about their lives, and it had made them realise they were not alone. I could not have anticipated this outcome but it has made me trust in the power of personal storytelling and its therapeutic effects.

By sharing our personal stories, we connect with each other and the space between us disappears.

I am often told I have lived an extraordinary life, and I accept that is true. But not for the reasons you might imagine. I say that because I believe there’s no such thing as an ordinary life. I don’t think my story is any more or less extraordinary than anyone else’s, but it is extraordinary because it is unique. No one in history has ever lived the same life as mine, and no one in the future ever will.

And beyond that, we each have within us a divine spark, that part of us in which the universe resides. We are all made of stars – science will tell you that. There will never be a divine spark like us again. We live, we die, our energy changes form, and cannot take that same form again.

So it seems the height of arrogance to me to judge ourselves as ordinary. We are vast, energetic beings in physical form, and the story of our life on this planet is hugely important. If we are the divine having a physical experience, how else can we relate that experience other than telling our story?

The ego will tell you that you have nothing to tell. That you’re dull, boring, average. Don’t listen to it.

Your life may not make headline news but you don’t need to have climbed mountains, conquered a life-threatening illness or endured some extreme challenge to be extraordinary. In every life there is triumph over adversity, obstacles overcome, moments of blinding insight and clarity, wisdom formed from brutal experience, and most importantly a unique perspective.

So if you believe you’ve had an ordinary life, you’re in wrong place! It’s my calling to help you dig down into the bedrock of your life to unearth treasure in the form of story. And I can promise you, it is there, however deeply buried.

That buried treasure is your gift to the world. Your message. Your song. Your poem. Your light. Your story.