Window to the soul

For the past few months, I've been building the foundations of our work at Sharing Life Africa - creating relationships in the local communities and also inviting individuals who are passionate about education and community development to sit on our Board.

In searching for exceptional individuals for our Board of Directors, I've been introduced to people with whom I had no prior connections. The first thing they often do is read through our mission at Sharing Life Africa and almost always, they fall in love with our work. The next step: they watch this documentary film to learn more about me and why I do what I do. 

But all these are never enough to get them on board.

When I finally meet them, their question remains the same:

"What's your story?"

This question, I found, should never be answered in a hurry. In fact, to answer it, I often begin from when I was 8 years old. Some others, like Barack Obama, answer this question by telling the story of their father.

The thing is, your story is a window to your soul.

There are no new ideas in the world. There are just unique people driving old ideas.

So, the call to tell your story is not a request to tell another generic narrative out there on the internet; it is a plea for vulnerability - to tell a story that is authentically and deeply yours.

Storytelling is not simply the stringing of words together. It is not simply writing, it is not for the feeble, it is not for those who want to hide.

It is for the committed. It is for those who want to create order out of the chaos of the world. It is for those who want to do the work. It is for those who want to make a difference in the lives of others.

It is for you because storytelling has always been a powerful tool for creating social change.

If I were to ask, “what’s your story?”
Do you have a carefully considered response?