Why Stories Make a Difference
With this post, I would like to share with you the reason, or my “why,” for starting this blog.
Often times, we find the inspiration we’re looking for when we come across a good story. The best stories have this beautiful way of connecting with us on a deeper, personal level. Themes and principles weaving behind the scenes of a good story resonate with us so deeply that they can move us to feel inexpressible emotion or bring about positive change in our lives. Stories take us on a journey, inspire us to dream big, deepen our faith, and help us understand how to live with true purpose.
We all have stories and experiences to share with others, and we know that our stories can make difference in someone else’s life because they’ve made a difference in ours. If by sharing my stories I can help or inspire just one person out there to grow their faith or pursue their dreams, then I have succeeded.
Are You Living a Story Worth Sharing?
In his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller comes to the realization that the same principles which make a good story in a book or on the big screen are also the same principles which make a good story in our lives. In a good story, there has to be a character who wants something so worthwhile that he takes risks and overcomes enormous conflict to get it. The character is almost always thrown into adversity, crossing the point of no return and thus embarking on a journey which requires faith in something bigger than him or herself. After examining his life, Miller discovered he wasn’t living with the courage it takes to make a good story. He was stuck in the routine and the ordinary, thinking small and dreaming small. He wasn’t in pursuit of some great goal, and he wasn’t facing conflict at all, but rather spending all of his time trying to avoid it. By the end of his book, however, he turned and committed himself to ‘doing life’ differently, with renewed determination and courage. As I read the book, I realized that I wasn’t living a good story either. I knew I could be much more intentional with the way I lived my life, making each day more memorable and making every moment count.
This blog is my best attempt to write a story worth sharing, not because I’m going to accomplish anything great on my own, but because I have faith that if I dare greatly enough God will do something extraordinary with my life. He did this when I decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail against all odds, and He’s doing it now that I’ve given up a steady paycheck to write and start my own business.
In addition, I’m quickly discovering that publishing my journey publicly requires a certain accountability, and while my goal is to encourage readers, I know I will be holding myself accountable to live a better story in the process. One mistake I’ve repeated in the past is sitting around for far too long trying to find assurance by thinking about my purpose and what it means. What I’ve come to realize is that true purpose for a person of faith cannot simply be contemplated in order to be fully understood. Rather, it must be lived out through our actions and experiences. We must have frequent encounters with God and we must serve and sacrifice for others repeatedly if we want the peace and assurance that comes with being purpose driven. In other words, we come to a certain point where we can only realize our purpose to the extent in which we have lived it out. And so, this blog helps me to reflect on whether I’m truly living out a story worth writing and sharing; and ultimately, I pray that it would help you to reflect on the story you’re living and to write an even better one because of it.
Sharing the Highs… AND the Lows
Every story has turning points. These are the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ we experience as a part of life. In this blog, I would like to be vulnerable and share both my highs and lows with you in the hope that you can learn from not only my personal victories but my losses and setbacks as well. It’s always important to remember that life is not just about reaching your goals and milestones, it’s about who you become in the process of getting there. Simply put, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Whether you’ve fallen and hit rock bottom or reached the Mount Everest of life’s experiences, those turns you take along the journey are important to laying the foundation for your future self. And always remember this, that good characters don’t quit on a story just because they know there are negative turns coming. They press on to the goal, knowing that after they’ve lived through whatever trial is to befall them, they will then be able to turn and help another struggling soul through the same fire. Whatever fire you must cross or mountain you must climb, I’d consider this blog a success if it only helped you take one small step towards overcoming your trials. If you read this entire post, you may not realize it but you’ve taken the time out of your day to help me take a step forward as well. I can’t tell you much I appreciate your time, so thanks for reading and here’s to living a good story,
Kolton.
