How do you view the New Year? A time for reflection? A time for starting something new? Ever tried doing both?
One of my past roles in behavioral design/psychology consulting taught me about the improved memory retention we have when information is told in a story.
Do you think your story matters? I do. No one who reads articles like this is someone isn’t doing the best they can. You have it within you to create powerful stories that will help people understand what hurts the next person like you. I believe in your ability to do this challenge and help shift society in this great direction it’s been going.
So… what’s your story? While you think on that, do you want to hear how I got good at telling mine?
Once upon a time I was a young woman who didn’t know what her identity meant. I grew up Half Vietnamese and Half Irish, and looked more the former than the latter.
It was tough growing up in an all white town, not because anyone was mean, but because I often felt like I was picked last.
I was surprised when I went to University in the United Kingdom, and on my first day there, someone complimented my English (which is the only language I speak fluently by the way). I spent a lot of my life feeling like a tourist, but I’d never felt further from home in that moment. Has anyone ever made you feel that way?
I felt lost in my identity until one day in my first job post University I saw an ad on LinkedIn posted by Yinsey Wang about joining Voice ESEA, which was involved in combatting East and South East Asian Violence.
Because of that I was able to finally embed myself into new communities and serve others in them.
Because of that I found my identity in the part of my heritage people see first.
Finally, I became Director of that organisation and received many opportunities because of it, which has strengthened me and allowed me to create stories to inspire and relate to people like us.
Our stories are our life. Can you use your story to show people what we’re capable of?
I think you can.
