We’ve all got stories that led us to where we are today, and many of them ain’t pretty. In fact, there’s a good chance that yours put you in a place so dark that the idea of any sliver of light emerging seemed an impossibility.
But then time passed. The light emerged. The pain subsided. Growth occurred.
By now, most likely, you’re shining brighter than you could have ever imagined, doing something that seems so out of character with who you are – or, at least, were at one time.
That’s how it happened for me. And not just once, but several times.
As I look back on how the Universe rearranged my world over and over, all I can say is, “Of course, that had to happen. Why would my life be a cakewalk, or easier than anyone else’s?”
Those stories of how I got to be where I am allow me to help others. They’re what made me stronger, caused me to persevere when most would have given up, and taught me the life lessons I came to this Earth to learn.
And I’m sure there’s more on the way. The difference is that, now, I’ll meet them with the understanding that it’s going to take another story to get me to the next level, then the next, then the next.
Of course, there’s good that happens in between, or else I wouldn’t be writing this. That’s the moral of the story — whatever comes out of it that you can use to inspire others or that makes you a better person.
It becomes your purpose. Your brand story.
You owe it to your Tribe to tell your brand story because they need to hear it. They need to see that you have not always been perched on that pedestal, but your journey had some bumps along the way.
That’s what makes you real. It’s what they relate to. It’s why they open their hearts to you – and their wallets.
I know some amazing entrepreneurs with successful businesses who overcame adversity to get where they are today. They are leaders in their industry now, but it wasn’t always that way.
Here are just a few of their stories:
- One was told by the bank to return the loan for the family business, only to sell it for millions shortly after. Now she teaches other entrepreneurs how to thrive in their business.
- One was a paraplegic told she would never walk again; now, she’s walking tall as she teaches other women to get over their own limitations and become leaders.
- One weighed 89 pounds and spent 18 months in bed; she went on to develop her own system of healing that she teaches to other healers.
- One was an extremely introverted “techie” given the unlikely task of managing a sales team; now he’s a leading sales coach.
Do you see how it works? How a mess turns into purpose? How unseen forces push you out of your comfort zone and into your genius — when all you wanted to do was stay safe?
Uh-huh. Life is too short to play small.
You’ve lived through the drama and now it’s time to talk about it. You’ve got some lessons to teach, and your raving fans are waiting to hear them.
It’s all there, the message of hope, love, success, determination… wrapped up in your story. The world is waiting for you to tell it!