How to Recognize Your Story

March 5, 2021

 

How do You Discover the Value of Your Story When You Don’t Think You Have a One? 

How will they remember me? This is a question we all face at some point. Whether we envision lingering acknowledgment of talents or failures, anecdotal stories or life values, that question arises at some point – even to people who don’t feel like they have much of a story.


If you do not recognize your personal story, this question can quickly be disregarded as pointless, vain, or simply out of your control. Perhaps you think you don’t have a story to tell, it’s nobody’s business, or dwelling on it is not worthwhile. Others strive to ensure their memories will last through wills, endowments, personal influence, or through their work. They too risk missing out on passing along the values that built their success and can influence following generations.

A man is sitting on a ledge with a quote.

The Structure of a Story

First of all, let’s establish that your personal story is valuable, intrinsically, because it is yours and your life has meaning and purpose. To recognize the journey, it’s struggles as well as successes, makes the end result richer.


Unfortunately, many of us spend most of our life not paying attention to our own grand story. Good stories include certain key elements: a hero, goals, and conflict to reach those goals. You are the hero of your personal story. Your character and values are forged through conflict in life. Conflict can range from small things like learning your preferences, or big challenges like difficult relationships or drastic events. Similarly, goals can range from seemingly insignificant to ones that represent a life well-lived to you.


Viewing your life from the heights of a narrative can transform dreary struggles of life into epic tales. A young adult unsure of his career becomes a story of self-discovery. The mother can take courage when looking back to the previous struggles in life’s chapters and take hope when looking forward to the dreams for her children. Each season of life which passes carries its own set of conflicts and feats. If we pay attention, we can enjoy the hard-won riches of character development and recognize the achievement of our goals.

A diagram showing the stages of recognizing your story

Another element of a good “hero’s journey” story is the guide – an older, wiser person who can give the hero the help they need to succeed. Look back on your life, and you’ll see influencers like parents, teachers, or inspirational speakers and writers acting as guides. As one continues through life, opportunities increase to play the part of a wise guide to others. Suddenly your story isn’t just about you. The wisdom and life experiences of guides is vital to the success of those younger, less equipped, and less experienced. When you recognize your own story and values, you are able to use them to help others.


Each person makes choices according to the values they hold dear. Recognizing yours will help you not only live your life with clarity and self-awareness, but also clearly share them with others. In Part 2, we will discuss how to discover your values.

A poster for the movie secrets of the mega landfill.
By TellMyStory November 29, 2024
These three documentaries showcase parts of modern America that are often behind-the-scenes for most citizens. While many documentaries focus solely on failures and fears, these approach with positive insight, hopeful solutions, and the connection of the human element. 
A poster showing the benefits of thankfulness.
By tellmystory May 8, 2024
With 65% of the general population classified as visual learners,1 businesses often struggle to quickly communicate complex, scientific, or “boring” ideas to their audience. Infographic and Kinetic Typography videos are... The post Making Thoughts Visual: Infographic / Kinetic Typography Videos appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A black and white photo of a man and woman talking to a child
By tellmystory November 21, 2023
When we filmed Chuck’s personal documentary, we knew he had an incredible story of resilience and self-discovery. When we placed it on our website as a video example, none of... The post A Family Legacy Update – Chuck’s Story appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A man is covering his ears while sitting in front of a laptop computer.
By tellmystory August 5, 2023
Over-marketing is not simply inundating your audience with advertisements. It’s more unclear, has darker elements, and is trickier to avoid than one might think. What is over-marketing and is that... The post Top 7 Ways Over-Marketing is Hurting Your Business appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A blank image
By tellmystory November 22, 2022
Personal Biographies are at the core of Visual Legacy Productions. Our dream to help families tell their story is why our website url is “tell my story!” Most families never... The post Personal Biographies – Legacy Interviews appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A man is kneeling down with a turkey on his head titled my life as a turkey
By tellmystory September 1, 2022
You don’t have to be into bird-watching to enjoy these three films about feathered friends! Each of these documentary picks reveals a new perspective about these well-known birds. Discover a... The post For the Birds – New Perspectives on a Topic You Think You Know appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A group of people are sitting in a circle on a rug
By tellmystory May 31, 2022
Helping people capture their stories is near and dear to our heart. Most families don’t think of catching these precious memories on video until it’s too late. So it’s no... The post The Difference Between a Legacy Interview and Personal Documentary appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A group of people are raising their hands in a classroom
By tellmystory March 18, 2022
Since its early days of use, video has increasingly enabled speakers to present their material to more people in more locations. While there are elements about a presenter standing in... The post 3 Reasons to Transition Your Live Presentations into Video Presentations appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A pie chart showing if you could only post one place
By tellmystory December 3, 2021
As you prepare your branding and marketing strategies for 2022, you’ll want to make sure you get it right with your business videos. These 22 stats will help guide you... The post 22 Ways to Boost Sales with Video in 2022 appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
A man is standing on a porch in front of a camera.
By tellmystory September 23, 2021
You won’t always have a film studio available to you. You may need to travel and carry all of your own gear. Due to project scope and/or funding, you might... The post How to Function as a One-Person Film Crew appeared first on Visual Legacy Productions.
More Posts
Share by: