As a little girl it never crossed my mind that I would be sharing my story with the world. The concept of writing for any other reason than school work wasn’t even in my realm of understanding. In fact, the idea of writing my story didn’t even come into my thought process until my mid-twenties when I promised myself that someday I would write my story. This is why I am now such a proponent of children learning what is possible with words.
Every year my children’s elementary school puts on a Young Writer’s Conference. It is an all-day production with guest speakers and authors who come to share their gifts and get kids really excited about the unlimited possibilities of writing. This is one of the biggest days of the school year where parent’s step in and go all out, decorating the school to make it a truly memorable event.This year’s theme is “What’s Your Story?”
I love this theme, almost beyond words. We all have stories, some painful, some beautiful, and all of them worthy of telling. Every story has the potential to inspire those around us once we learn to see our story with love. And yes, every story is eventually worth loving.
Recently I was invited to share my story with Maria Shriver in her new online magazine, The Shriver Report, a magazine dedicated to the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of women. Once upon a time I dreaded telling my story, at least parts of it, out of fear of how I would be judged. Now I openly share they whole thing, good and bad, because I know that in sharing my story I inspire others to see what is possible in their own lives.
Stories can, and will, change the world. What’s your story and how are you using it? Do you use it to complain about everything that has gone wrong in your life? Or are you using it to inspire yourself and others as you face your past with a new perspective?
Click here to read my story on The Shriver Report.
The Polygamist's Daughter 