Your story is your super power.

The last couple of months there have been so many things happening in our household. First, we bought our first home and moved. Then before we could really get things unpacked and set up, my husband’s mother was moved to stay with us, under the auspices of Hospice. After 6 somewhat trying weeks, she passed away. Then there was the normal things that go along with planning a funeral and creating her memorial service. It seems like we haven’t had a chance to just stop and breathe lately.

Last night I was chatting with my business coach. I shared with her an experience we are dealing with in the healthcare industry, one that’s kind of ugly and yet something I’m thinking so many deal with these days. Her words have given me great pause to think about my writing, about this blog, and about what I want to do with it. They were simply: “You need to share your story. Remember, your story is your super power.”

There was a time when, as some of you will remember, I blogged religiously, I shared stories, and I advocated for change in the things I believed needed to be changed. To some degree, I still do that, although much less publicly. When I left the healthcare industry, I really attempted to completely walk away from all things related to that industry. Yet, families have medical needs, and as would have it, I’m the one with the knowledge and experience to advocate for those things. So in reality, I never really left. I just didn’t talk about it much.

Now comes the notion of our stories. What are the stories of our lives? They are made up of who we are the experiences we have in life. So let’s take a look at the roles I have in life:

I’m a writer. I do love to write. And I find it both relaxes and energizes me when I do that. And while I have this blog, I do a good deal of writing about my business (see below) on a site called Sassy Direct.

I’m a wife. Okay I’m a wife in an interracial marriage. And one that also includes two cultures as we are from different countries. And with a husband who is a pretty new US citizen, so we get the immigration process (and boy is there a story to tell there).

I’m a healthcare advocate. Is that a formal title? Nope, it’s one I inherited years ago because I understood the language and my family needed it. Even today, I find myself in that role at various times.

I’m a CASA volunteer, passionate about our kids in foster care and how much they need someone to be their voice in the system.

I’m a small business owner, sharing products that I love and are amazing in hopes that they help others along the way. I have an amazing online community where we connect and chat not just about these things, but also about life in general.

And last but certainly least, I’m a dog lover. I can’t imagine my life without a dog in my life. And in the past few years, there have been times when that role of dog lover and advocate have been combined as I worked in my community to be sure things were right with our animal shelter.

So when I put all of this on paper (well, on a screen, but you get it), I do have stories. And I need to tell them. So I’m putting this out there as my commitment to my community that I will tell those stories. And I hope you will share yours as well. Remember, your story is your super power! What roles do you have?