Our stories are the very best parts of us. The memories you feel the most deeply, those are your stories. Don’t run from them, don’t be afraid of them, and challenging though it may be, embrace them.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where we are always supposed to present ourselves at our best. But let’s be honest, we aren’t our best all the time. And to become our best, we probably went through a lot of things that shaped our experiences and our worldview. Not all experiences are glamorous and not all of them have the level of drama that makes for a good story.

In growing up and make friends, you start to learn about people and their lives. Their likes, dislikes, upbringing, and the things that make them tick — all through the help of stories. Most of the time, people start with the stories that seem most advantageous in a given situation — what makes them brave, why they fight tooth and nail on a particular issue, etc. But people tend to push the stories that have truly molded them into the darkest corners of themselves.

It’s okay to have stories that are sad, that are tough to listen to, that still hurt you when you share them with others. What is not okay is to think that because you have a story that follows you wherever you go, that it makes you any less than what you are. The things that could’ve broken others didn’t break you. The story wouldn’t be yours if it happened to anyone other than you.

There is power in sharing stories as it provides a voice to those who may not feel comfortable sharing or those who can relate to you even if it seems as though you’d have nothing in common. There is also art in storytelling, it is what keeps one of the oldest parts of culture alive and creates a continuous dialogue.

I say all of this to say, don’t be ashamed and don’t try to hide. The people meant to be apart of your life will accept you and your stories. Don’t let people take pieces of you that were never meant for them.

But what is most important is that our stories belong to us. You don’t have to share everything with the world.  You don’t have to have a reason for being the way you are, but know that you are exactly who you’re meant to be.