Six months ago someone asked me to share my story. I’ve made story maps and timelines before, but had never shared my story to a near stranger. I started thinking about my personal narrative and realized the way my life intersects with and influences other people is a huge part of who I am.

I’ve seen stories drive people to take action, connect emotionally and strengthen the bonds between people. Stories are a connective tissue between humans, and when you share your story – the authentic, gritty version – with another person, you connect on a much deeper level.

So, how can you use stories to connect with your own community?

Be the first to share.
Become a leader. Break the ice by sharing your story first. Storytelling is what made me realize it was possible for me to be a leader, because people cared about my story. Leaders are inherently striving to make change happen, and stories do that; they’re compelling, motivating, and inspire people to take action.

Be authentic & keep it real.
Sounds easy enough. But sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your story, that’s often the hardest part. To be blunt, if you’re not being honest – if you’re not “getting real” – people will probably find it challenging to feel connected to you. To motivate people to take action, they need to care. When you connect on an emotional level, you inspire people. 

Create a safe space for others to share their stories.
Everyone in your community has a story to tell, so give them a space to be heard. Technology makes it easy to do this on a much larger scale, so anyone can share their story at any time, in any place.

The Bully Project provides a space for their community to share their stories and connect with each other about their experience digitally. All you need is a computer, or a phone, and you can connect in a way that feels personal, but lives online. 

Make sure you’re telling a story.
Everyone has a friend, family member, or someone they met out in the world who thinks Facebook is the only space for storytelling, but is actually the worst oversharer of all time. Don’t be that guy.

So, I’ll ask you all the same question that inspired this blog, what is your story? Share it with me, with your community, or with the world and let us know what happens!