This is one of our Story Preserve pillars. Nothing in your life story is mundane or trivial or limited to just memory or regret. From nostalgic recall to lessons learned, it isn’t a waste. You can use any of it! Once you can get your head around that, then you are free to tell your story! It goes from internal to external, unshared to shared, lived to remembered.
A story's best friend is failure. We all want to hide or dismiss our failures. We don't want any one we care about to know about them. But those who love you will be inspired by your failures more than your successes. Guaranteed. Who wants to hear a story about someone who's always great, winning, and doing amazing things? Do you watch or listen to stories about perfect people? Personally, the stories I like best are the ones where someone admits failure and goes on the adventure to try to overcome it. Period.
Preserve the past. I once sat down, on camera, with my Auntie, Joann Buchanan, to ask her about her career. She was an independent, career woman in the 60s. When I asked her to tell me about it, she didn't think her past had any relevance for today. What she didn't know up front was: I was thinking about my daughter and niece. I wanted them to hear stories that empowered them. To find it, I just went to my Auntie's past. Glad I did. In the 60s, when the workforce was overrun by men, she was busy putting together business models for a prominent hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. She worked on a cruise ship in the Pacific Northwest in guest relations. She even created immersive murder mystery dinners for tourists in Seattle. She had to work harder than most to get her ideas heard, but when she was given the opportunity, she made better experiences for others. If her past wasn't preserved in story, my daughter and niece wouldn't get to know about the important woman trailblazer in their family.
-from Joann Buchanan Interview
-Joann Buchanan career press (from 60s)
-Joann Buchanan with American Actor Robert Wagner
Ordinary is where story gets good. Everyone thinks there's big amounts of time just wasted in life as the clock ticks on. Most think they're nothing special. But how do stories become extraordinary? When the people watching, reading, or listening decide that they are! Often the person featured in a story is actually ordinary. It's really not up to them to be more than that. Let the audience decide. They're the ones desperately seeking extraordinary in the ordinary. I want to know the story about the earnest, helpful, kind man who happens to be a trash collector. I'll pass on the 50 other stories about high profile, 6 figure, douche bags that don't know how to make someone feel better. We need more stories of ordinary.
Want to share your story with us? Do you have someone you want to share it with? Let us know. We're here to make it easy for you!
Check out Joann Buchanan's story on our YouTube channel: 1967 Ambitious Woman