There was a time where I thought that my story would not be good enough or interesting enough to be told. This entry may get a little…..I don’t even know what to call it lol. Just keep an open mind toward the point of view.
Growing up, I was always interested in people’s stories. The things they went through and endured that shaped them into the people that they were. It was always interesting to me to hear about people’s upbringing, their home life, you know, the human stuff. When I listened to celebrities stories they never seemed similar to mine. There was always a single parent household, a struggle with law enforcement, poverty, unbelief, etc. “One of my teachers in middle school told me I'd never be anything." I'd always been amazed at all the crazy things that folks had to go through.
Growing up my family didn't face much strife, and if we did, my parents did a great job shielding us from it. I grew up in a two parent household, oldest of 4, middle class, both parents worked great jobs and the pro's go on. And I use to wonder was my story too "good" or "clean" or "easy" for stardom. It seemed to me that the most influential people had backgrounds that were completely un-similar and kind of opposite of mine. So then I started to wonder if lacking all the adversities of life would somehow keep me from being the grand version of myself that I saw in my dreams.....
Please tell me I'm not the only one that had this experience....
Idk, I just felt like stories like mine weren't told often. Our history is rooted in pain, strife and separation and I just felt like most of the people that were "winning" had a story that flowed through that cycle. Everyone and every family has their share of "stuff." Some families have more than others. Some of our parent's worked very hard to separate us from that life. And some families fall victim to the continuous cycle that holds a lot of folks back. I guess this brief write up is for those individuals like me. Those of us who feel like stories like ours aren't told often, possibly because from the outside looking in, we seemed to "have it good."
This is a gentle reminder that gifts come from God and not from circumstance or upbringing. Just because you didn't struggle through life doesn't make your story any less worthy of telling. Don't shy away from your truths out of fear of outside opinions. Don't seek drama trying to create a storyline either. Stay true to yourself and your gifts will make room for you. One day someone will appreciate your point of view.I feel like the millennial generation is working hard to rewrite the narrative associated with generational trauma. We're building strong families and launching brands that will guarantee that stories similar to my upbringing will be told everyday.
Having a story that's a little different from norm (whatever that is) doesn't make you any less destined for greatness. While struggle builds character, so does learning to earn your keep from a set of parents who want nothing more than for their child to succeed. I hope this write up meets you where you are and encourages you to go forward with the courage to share your story because someone, somewhere needs to hear it. I'm here to help and encourage the tribe that God assigned to me and I know that no matter my background, God will make sure my message is received loud and clear by the people who need it