Your Story Is Your Superpower (Even the Messy Parts)
2025-05-19 · 6 min read
Your Story Is
I used to skip the hard parts when I shared my story.
I'd give the highlights: "I went through a tough season, but God came through, and now I'm doing great!" Clean. Tidy. Inspirational. Also — almost completely useless to anyone actually going through something hard.
Because here's the thing: when you're in the middle of it, you don't need another person's polished redemption arc. You need to know someone else has sat in the same darkness and it didn't kill them.
The Fear of Being Too Much
Most of us hold back because we're scared. Scared of being:
- Too much
- Too intense
- Too messy
- Judged
- Pitied
I get it. I've been all of those things to someone at some point. But what I've learned — through the podcast, through speaking, through a lot of awkward oversharing — is that the vulnerability is the whole point.
People don't connect with your polished version. They connect with your real one.
Story Isn't Performance
Storytelling isn't about being dramatic or crafting the perfect narrative arc. It's about telling the truth with enough specificity that someone else recognizes themselves in it.
The best stories usually include:
- A real moment (not a vague "hard season")
- What you actually thought/felt (not what you should have thought)
- What shifted (or didn't)
- What you'd tell yourself now
That's it. You don't need a degree in creative writing. You just need honesty.
Your Turn
What's a part of your story you've been keeping quiet? Not to dump it on the internet — just sit with it. Ask yourself: who needed to hear this version of me two years ago?
Start there.
This is something I talk about more in my speaking sessions. If you want to bring this message to your campus or event, head over to the Speaking page.
Lexi Adams
2025-05-19