There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
~Maya Angelou
Why does telling your story matter? Because you matter.
It’s the story of our lives that makes us who we are. The memories that form our opinions, the lessons we’ve learned, the scars we bare, and the triumphs we share. Every detail makes up who we are today.
Telling our story gives us the permission to release our façade. We no longer have to live behind the mask we project to the world that says “I have it all together. Always have. Always will.” Our stories not only let us be vulnerable, it's what leads us back to our authentic selves.
It is an incredibly powerful tool that reminds us of our worth when we take the time to think about our past, reflect on how these experiences have affected us, and to share our truth. We share our story because it is worthy to be shared, regardless if anyone else agrees or not. We must see the value to our own story, and sometimes that’s where the stuckness lies.
Do we believe our story is worth telling? Or do we say to ourselves: “who would want to listen to that?”
We were faced with that exact question when we first started our business, and frankly, our answer was: probably no one. But we decided to share anyway, not for others but for ourselves. And as we continue to share, more and more people tell us that they connect with how it makes them feel and how it’s a reminder that they are not alone.
Through sharing our stories, we’ve created vulnerable connections and built our community. The details of our stories are different, but we connect over the fact that we are all struggling in some aspect in our lives. This validation helps to clear the noise and reaffirms our values. We can then focus our attention on what we have control over and take the steps we need to find a creative solution.
The ming+ming community gives us the space we need to put down our masks, share honestly, and find connection in the struggle. It has given us the permission to put less energy into making everything look okay, and allows us to put more energy into addressing what actually isn’t okay.
Sharing our stories has given us the freedom to say: “I’m tired of trying to become what others believe I should be. This is who I am and this is how I got here.” And our hope is to inspire others to find freedom by doing the same.
Come join us Thursday nights for ming+ming meditation where we hold a safe space to share our stories. Because your story matters… because you matter.
When the storyteller tells the truth, she reminds us that human beings are more alike than unalike... A story is what it's like to be a human being-to be knocked down and to miraculously arise. Each one of us has arisen, awakened. We do rise.
~Maya Angelou
With love,
Ming-Wai + Ming-Cee