Your Life Story: Is it Buried?
Have you had a life full of adventures that you now have mixed feelings about or keep hidden? Have you ever experienced something that was traumatic or life changing? You want to talk about it or share it, but you also don’t want to.
There are certain life experiences that are transformative. Something happens in your life, and you’re never the same. Maybe it was an unusual childhood or life history. It could be an important event such as a marriage or the death of a loved one. It could be an important move or a promotion, or a road trip that changed you in important ways. It could also be something more unusual such as the time when you joined that secret society, cult, or underground gang for a few years, and no one knew where you went. It could be a period of your life such as college or a job that had a significant impact on you. Maybe there was something traumatic that you survived, or maybe it was a series of events that took place during one of your earlier life eras. It could be some experiences you had in prison or in another country. We all have stories and things we survived that made us into the amazing, complicated, beautiful, creative strong people we are today.
Do you have a story to tell?
It's a big decision to speak out, to expose yourself, to break your silence, to talk about things that have been hidden or secret. And as a result, many life stories remain buried, forgotten, lost. One of the bad things about not sharing is that there could be other survivors who have had similar experiences who could benefit from knowing your story and how you survived.
When we remain closed and not open about our experiences, people who did mean or hurtful things, never have to deal with what they did, and then the same wrongs keep happening over and over. There are whole sides of a story that never get told, which can create misunderstanding, judgement or condemnation in those who don’t understand.
When stories go untold, there is no healing, no chance to unburden oneself, gain clarity, or share the rich, complex, amazing stories of survival that taught you so much about life and had a huge impact on who you became. The memories of adventures or misadventures remain buried forever, sometimes even from consciousness altogether if the memories have been repressed due to trauma.
Is it time to tell your story? Some people discover that it’s impossible to keep a story buried. What happened lives on in your memories, which can then haunt you. The ghosts from your past never rest in peace. And in fact, they do everything they can to derail you, keep you up at night, wreak havoc on your emotions and relationships. It’s almost like they’re little children, begging for attention and causing trouble until they get it.
You might not be ready. You might not ever be ready or you’re not sure. Set up a free 20-minute consult today to discuss your needs. I am a narrative therapist who specializes in storycatching techniques. I believe in the healing power of story and might be able to help answer any questions you have.