No one likes a messy situation especially if you have lived through it for many years. I remembered some of the things I got up to as a teenager and I shudder at the thought of them.
When I started my purpose and passion driven journey, I rarely shared my personal story when I am speaking to a small or large group of people. I used to think my story was too messy to be understood or impossible to turn it into something tangible. I shared it once, and it seemed like the only thing that struck a chord with the crowd. After that, I never looked back.
Do you sometimes feel the same way too? Do you think your life experiences are best left in the past? Well, I beg to differ. Do you know that there are many people out there making the same mistakes you made in the past? They may even be worse off at the end of the experience. Yes, I am laying a little bit of guilt down here.
Your mess is a message of salvation for someone else. Just to know that you went through it and came out at the other end is a great source of encouragement to someone out there.
The only problem I foresee when you share your story is your thoughts. You will probably think “what will they think of me?”. Listen up, your past does not define you – not in any way. It may shape some of your past decisions. But the future is yours and you can make it whatever you want it to be.
Whether it is being estranged from your family, overcoming cancer, infertility, bankruptcy, backpacking across Asia with no money, difficult teenager, your mess is someone’s messiah.
There is a message in your mess and the more you think about it, the more you will be able to package it for others to learn from you.
Action
Make a note of the lessons you have learnt from your past life experiences. You can choose a particular period of your life. E.g. my teenage years were my most dramatic and messy years, while becoming a parent is top ten on my best life experiences list
What lessons have you learnt from your life experiences. I bet yours will make a fascinating autobiography.
You just never know what you can package for the benefit of others. These experiences are potent knowledge that can bring comfort and healing to many others out there.