I cannot express how important it is to tell your story — even if you doubt yourself. I felt the same way until I was empowered by sharing my experiences with large audiences… And, I haven’t looked back since! So, let me establish WHY you should do it and HOW to get started…
For a long time, I used to believe no one wanted to listen to me. I also thought that I had nothing to say!
Now, I do public speaking engagements, events, podcasts, and everything in between.
But, it wasn’t until my husband, Grant, convinced me to tell my own story that I even tried. This happened right before the first-ever 10X Growth Conference, and he asked me to be a speaker…
JUST SO YOU KNOW, THERE WAS GOING TO BE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THERE!
At first, I resisted because the idea of that alone freaked me out.
On top of that, what would I even say? Would people be interested in what I had to talk about? I was also worried they might laugh at me.
Then, Grant reminded me of a couple of things:
- I have information that can help people.
- And, this concept that I have since adopted as my own…
Of course, my whole argument for you to tell your story is not just because it’s scary. Let’s get into the other compelling reasons…
Your Unique Experience Can Help & Inspire Others
Believe it or not, your story matters and can help people no matter how ordinary you think your life is.
Every single one of us experiences life differently. So even if the milestones are the same, the viewpoint and journey are uniquely yours.
Look at the example of high school. Most young people are required to attend it for four years…
For some people, high school is a nightmare — like me. And for others, going to high school is the best years of their whole life.
See what I mean?
How you overcame difficult circumstances can help people figure out how to get their lives together by telling your life story.
EQUALLY IMPORTANT, IS THAT SHARING HOW YOU GOT THROUGH TOUGH TIMES SHOWS PEOPLE THAT IT’S EVEN POSSIBLE!
My good friend and 10X Ladies speaker, Stormy Wellington, uplifts people every day with her unbelievable backstory…
That brings us to the second half of why recounting your history is worthwhile…
NOT EVERYONE NEEDS HELP, BUT EVERYONE CAN USE A DOSE OF INSPIRATION AND POSITIVITY.
Yes, that includes me! I sometimes openly ask to hear about your success on social media because I need a boost.
It is hard to fully understand the impact you have on people’s lives if you aren’t confident all the time. Strangely enough, though, telling your story can improve your self-worth as well…
Tell Your Story for YOU
While it may sound selfish, the best reason to tell your story is for its tremendous benefits to your life.
You’re probably wondering how that works — especially if you’ve had a few hard knocks. However, recounting your journey turns those painful memories into priceless assets…
THE KEY TO THIS MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION IS PERSPECTIVE.
As you are going through trials and tribulations, it is almost impossible to see the lesson or the bigger picture.
But going through those events in the present time, you can pinpoint:
- Why you found yourself in those situations
- How it shaped you and your actions (positively or negatively)
- What to do to NEVER end up there again
- Who you REALLY are
In short, telling your story restores your self-worth, takes your power back, and reinforces who you are at your core.
Hopefully, I’ve made my case by now that this undertaking is worth its weight in gold — and it is. Yet if you’re like me, you aren’t a professional writer. So, you need some guidance on where to start.
Don’t worry, I have an easy step-by-step exercise to outline your autobiography.
How to Get Started
It is a daunting task to detail all the significant occurrences of your life. To do it right, you have to organize what to tell and in what order so others can follow along and understand your message.
THIS EXERCISE MAKES IT EASY BY HAVING YOU ANSWER SOME SIMPLE QUESTIONS WHICH PUT THOSE PIECES TOGETHER FOR YOU — NATURALLY.
Without further ado, let’s start the Q&A…
What Are You Putting in Your Body?
To use a Grantism, I apologize in advance for this first step being a bit punny…
But in this portion of the exercise, you will begin by drawing a hollow body. It will resemble a gingerbread man that you see at Christmastime.
Then, list every role you fulfill inside your gingerbread person.
In my case, I would fill in mother, author, licensed real estate agent, public speaker, wife, and everything in between!
This gives you a strong footing of where to start because you realize your huge breadth of experience. And at the same time, you can narrow down which of these areas are most important to you.
Now, it’s time to determine who needs to hear the message you have inside you…
Who Can You Speak To?
This second step is pretty straightforward…
Based on what you put in your sketch, you determine which people you can tell your personal story and who it would help.
IN SHORT, WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
I’m going to use one of my roles from the list in the previous section — mother. Based on that answer alone, I can relate to a wide range of people….
Other mothers — obviously. Those who want to be mothers. People who have mothers. Anyone who is interested in the experience of motherhood.
And all of those people are from just one of the roles of my empire!
But simply relating to others isn’t enough to tell your story effectively. You have to understand why everything you went through matters to you and your audience…
Why Are You Like This?
Third, you are going to write out the major incidents of your life — good and bad — so you can analyze them with a newfound perspective.
You will find that those experiences caused you to make decisions that put you in similar situations over and over again…
Identifying those “vicious cycles” is empowering because it helps you break them. Then, you can also narrow down why your purpose is so important to you.
In the end, that will make your message more authentic and compelling.
Nonetheless, your life is far from over which means we are not done telling your story yet…
Write New Chapters as You Tell Your Story
I’m going to let you in on a little secret…
THERE ARE NO HAPPY ENDINGS BECAUSE NOTHING EVER TRULY ENDS.
That’s why you have to continue the adventure of your life by writing new, better chapters with the lessons you’ve learned. By doing so, you can accomplish goals beyond your wildest dreams.
However, there is a responsibility attached to this gift you give yourself…
You have to share your lessons so the world can be a better place — faster.
So, tell your story and build an empire.
— Elena Cardone
And if you need help building your empire or finding others to tell your story to, check out my Build an Empire University.
Not only do you get coaching from me, but you also get access to networking opportunities Empire-Builders is ready to change the world. You can get more information here.
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