We must tell our own stories as this is a necessity for commitment to our own well-being as well as to the progress of the communities we are part of
Published Date – 11:45 PM, Thu – 2 November 23
By Viiveck Verma
Too many factors tend to define who we are in the present epoch. From our educational qualifications to the company we keep, we are susceptible to incessant scrutiny and categorisation. In such circumstances, it is highly possible to lose our sense of who we are and depend heavily on external validation for a sense of identity. Yet, nothing could be more harmful than letting other entities dictate, define and limit who we are and what we are worth, for it is a disservice to the reservoirs of human ability we hold within and flattens out our potential into unremarkable conformity.
To make unique contributions to society and the world and to stay distinctive in an age of widespread homogenisation, we must know and own our narrative and tell our own stories, crafting milestones and legacies which stand out and set precedents. This is a necessity for commitment to our own well-being as well as to the progress of the communities we are part of. Let us explore this in some detail.
Our True Selves
Taking charge of our own narratives is fundamentally about knowing who we are as individuals while deciding and anticipating the many special ways in which we contribute to larger missions. To create a narrative that speaks to our true selves, we must transcend societal norms, impositions and expectations, which expose us to the risk of being constrained into specific categories and one-dimensional portrayals. Resistance to such phenomena is necessary as we assert our uniqueness and accept the complexity of our experiences, ideas, and emotions by taking control of our narratives. This, in turn, enables us to not just turn the tide in our favour in many contexts but also to truly make a difference.
This is because we have an impact on how other people view us when we define who we are with conviction, letting self-affirmation transform into influence. After all, being convinced of who we are and what we say is essential to the credibility of the messages we impart. In other words, we can only convince others of something when we are convinced of it. For example, if you appear for a job interview while secretly believing that you are ill-suited and underqualified for the job or are simply not convinced of the relevance of your candidature, it is likely to manifest as diffidence and can make it very difficult for you to convince the recruiters to hire you.
On the other hand, when you know who you are and take charge of your perception, being convinced of what you can offer, not only will you avoid applying for positions you are uncertain about but will also be able to justify your suitability for the roles you do believe in. This is because the world works through communication and to be a persuasive communicator, you have to take control of what defines you. In contrast, trying to convince others without true conviction and belief in yourself can come across as insincere or unreliable, making forging the trust necessary for effective connections impossible.
Building Reputation
Once you are used to taking charge of how you are perceived, you will be able to seamlessly build a favourable reputation. In this age of fractured attention spans, a reputation can be a magical tool to make an impact, as your reputation which ‘precedes you’ can make others believe in your credibility with minimal effort from your end. This is an ongoing process and you might need to factor in how people respond to you and start over whenever it might be necessary.
However, relentlessly ensuring you are telling your own story in your own way is a worthy struggle to participate in. This is not the same as thinking that people would not be judging you or making observations that differ from your self-perception and self-projections but that you know your truth and are able to affirm it through your actions and defend it whenever necessary.
Self-fulfilment
The other aspect of telling your own story your way is linked to the very elusive goal of self-fulfilment. Since the journey of self-realisation, the fruition of dreams and success never goes according to plan, there is relief and grace in knowing that you did things your own way and gave it your all. Compromises with yourself might sometimes make the short-run easy but can fill the long-run with regrets. This is precisely why not losing your self-perception against externalities and continuing to fend for yourself and your ideas pays off on subtle levels of human experience, and can certainly also translate into more spectacularly favourable outcomes.
The inspiring story of Steve Jobs, who stayed true to his ideas, even when Apple, the company he co-founded, fired him in 1985 due to internal conflicts, bears testament to this time-tested axiom. Jobs, undeterred by this setback, founded NeXT and created an unparalleled operating system, which Apple was compelled to buy and subsequently name Jobs as the CEO, and the rest is history. Visionaries, icons and leaders we look up to have always fought for their uniqueness, refusing to bow down to attempts to abridge their potential and foist unsuitable narratives upon them, and the results have always been inspirational.
Therefore, taking control of our own narratives is indubitably an act of self-empowerment and resilience, in a world full of agents and occurrences that frequently tend to pigeonhole us, oversimplify our complexities and render our stories irrelevant. We can define who we are, question impositions, change how people perceive us, and establish relationships with others, while changing the world in our own ways while being on this empowered voyage.
After all, not only do we shape our own lives by embracing the power of our stories but also keep the flame of the indomitable human spirit burning in a world that often appears dim, dreary and uninspired. It is time to stick to our guns and craft our narratives, staying forever on the course of self-discovery and transforming the world.
