Each of us has a story to tell, and each of us has been given a voice to tell that story.
My high school English teacher recently published a book entitled "Nothing Here is Real" (I highly recommend it — you can check it out here.
As a new author, he has been promoting his book is through Q&A sessions. Some friends and I went to one the other day, and I sort of had a déjà vu feeling. As I took my seat, I could feel my body transport through time and space to senior year when Mr. Bindig was my teacher.
As he discussed his book, he talked about the power of stories and how stories have the power to save us. He told us that he spent yearswriting this novel because he was convicted. He believed it was a story the world needed to hear. He was right. Stories are some of the most powerful motivators.
Think back on the last book you read. What happened when the story ended? Did you simply close it and walk away? Or, did it cause you to learn? Did it shape your thinking? The best stories move us. They move us to feel, move us to act, move us to change.
We live in a country where freedom of speech is taken for granted. While I lived in Chile, I was amazed at the number of organized protests that took place. While I don’t agree with the violence that some led to (most were peaceful), I do admire the Chileans’ passion and drive.
Each protest was a sign that the people were not content with their circumstances. They refused to sit back and hope for change. Instead, they went out and rallied for change themselves. They let the government know when they were dissatisfied and spoke up for their rights. They used their voices to stand up for what they believed in.
By protesting, they were ensuring that their voices were heard.
There’s been a song on the radio lately called “Youth” by Troye Sivan, and I haven’t been able to shake this one line since I first heard it: “a truth so loud you can’t ignore.”
The first thought that came to mind when I heard that was pure awe. It struck me because the power of those seven words is incredible. Shouldn’t that be the standard we strive for? We all have truths to which we cling, but we are all too often satisfied with simply holding onto them for ourselves.
If we genuinely believe in something, we should stand up for it. If we really want anything to change, we need to make the truth ring so loud that others can’t help but listen. Let your story become a song that’s heard on every radio station for years to come.
You’ve been given a gift. How will you use it?
