Tell Me Your Story, Not Status
Another networking event. Another well furnished event room with pearly smiles, suits and ties.
‘Great.’ I thought as I sipped on my wine, wishing it burned the back of my throat like vodka. I found myself drifting like a cloud between circles, between companies, peers and employees; giving standard answers about my education, my experience and hearing others’ career trajectory. I felt so uninspired.
Hearing someone ‘s accolades made me feel nothing but inadequate. Not surprisingly, my excitement fizzled out when I realised all the conversation I had was going in circles.
When my energy plummeted, I strayed away from the crowd.
‘So what ‘s your story like?’ A voice like a husky drawl jolted me out my reverie. A lanky figure approached me. He looked familiar. He was one of the photographers, taking snapshots of our chit chats.
He clinked his kombucha against my wine glass and sat next to me.
‘So tell me, what is your story?’ he smiled, piqued with curiosity.
My story?
No one has asked me that before. I have been repeatedly providing details of my graduate role experience and my employable traits in a robotic fashion, I barely could think of anything else to say. I was tongue tied for a brief second.
‘So tell me, what is your story?’
An hour passed by and I was heavily immersed and enchanted by the narrative arc of Ben. Our conversation was lively and unexpected as I learned to know each of our motivations and goals.
I came to know that Ben was former lacrosse player, now a digital nomad who just returned to his hometown after solo backpacking across the whole Asia. And he was a proud polymath; pursuing the art of adaptability in his skill learning. His uncle was one of the key presenters of the company and was there to help out.
‘The world can be an overwhelming place; so I write. ’ he smiled.
Some folks wear a smile but this guy was the smile. Everything about him was a soft and understated joy as he talked about his passions and things that stirred his very atoms. The mundane and the miraculous.
That day, I started feeling different. I stopped asking about people ‘s materialistic pursuits and societal status when I meet someone new. Instead I ask for their stories. The tales they lived and living.
I felt my chains unshackle the day I stopped defining my conversations around mere social labels and status.
The day I spotted my beautiful narrative and began to communicate, I transformed into a storyteller. I began forging powerful and meaningful connections, on both personal and professional level.
Tell me your story, not your status.
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