Bits and Bits of Pieces. They all have their value: your story, your share, has value. Sometimes we minimize the value of our stories, our past history. It seems at times insignificant for our ear to hear but for another individual who takes in our stories, it is actually more powerful than what we may think.

When I speak of my work experience to others, I always exclude my experience in Mexico and I still do, except on one particular day. That night, when I shared with my friend why I worked at a young age and worked full-time, if not overtime, made me realize how she took something out of my share. Just that piece of experience in working just to have a meal the next day has much value as my past experiences. There are experiences that I silence. I forget that those other unexpressed experiences are also what has shaped me today.

Everyone has their powerful stories to reveal. We don’t always have to spill all our pieces to an individual but leave bits here and there, such as footsteps left behind for others to continue their path (whether that be a career, personal, academic, etc.), which you impact along the way through sharing bits of pieces of your experiences/ narratives.

For me, the stories I’ve held the longest to are from my Campesina/o community. Their stories as parents, sacrificing themselves to work in harsh conditions for the betterment of their children has led me to continue an educational path that was not an opportunity given to many. Their sentenced lives in the fields, for most of them, on long harsh working conditions, have pushed me to never let go of my dreams and aspirations in life. If it was not for their shared stories, such as my mama’s, I would have been a high school dropout. Those bits and pieces that I had the privileged to have heard are the most precious treasures that I carry along with me in my educational journey. And it is for their stories that I move forward.

Share your stories, leave bits and pieces of your stories to strangers, to friends, to peers––they are gifts given by you. The impact of your shared bits of pieces that have on others is unsaid, for the most part, but people do take away a lot from your shared experiences.

During my second year of college, my mentor told me that her mentor had pursued a law degree and another career. At that time, I thought I could not pursue a dual career. Her share made me realize that it is possible, which meant that I would not have to choose one or the other but fulfill both careers. There are many things that one can share bits of pieces of anything or to anyone and it is not limited.

Don’t wait for the perfect time or perfect setting, or ideal person. There is always a piece of your story to be told whether it’s your own or someone else’s story that can be disclosed.

What piece will you reveal next that will inspire and or impact others?