Sometimes, Your Life’s Purpose is Hidden!
Paul White's nationally distributed syndicated column, “Sometimes, Your Life’s Purpose is Hidden!” is published in 22 publications across seven states. This includes the following newspapers and digital publications: Midland Daily News (MI), SFGate (CA), Seattle PI (WA), Connecticut Post (CT), Laredo Morning Times (TX), Huron Daily Tribune (MI), The Telegraph (IL), and more. In this week's article, Paul shares a recent Michigan storytelling competition he participated in, and what he learned from that experience.
I had signed up for a Storytelling Contest put on by the National Speakers Association (NSA). The Michigan chapter of the NSA held the district contest and had 12 spots available for competitors to fill. The winner would advance to one of three regional contests, with the winners at Regionals going on to compete at the National finals. A few days ago, the 12 of us went head-to-head with our stories and you won’t believe what resulted. First, I need to tell you the story that led up to the story that had a hidden story inside of it. Hang with me.
A few months ago, I received an email from the Michigan chapter of the National Speakers Association of which I’m a member. It described an upcoming contest that would be a qualifier for the NSA’s regional, and then national, Storytelling Competition. Entry would cost $250, and space was limited to twelve individual NSA members, meaning I’d be competing against people who tell stories for a living. And there was one critical rule for the contest that gave me pause…any story going past the five-minute mark would result in instant disqualification. Being that I struggle to say HELLO in less than five minutes, I knew that this presented an opportunity for me to practice creating and delivering a concise AND effective message. Before I could accidently delete the email, I made the bold decision to sign-up and paid the entry fee before I could change my mind.
24 hours later, I had this incredible self-talk going on in my brain. Me: “What were you thinking?” Also me: “Look, you need to be pushed outside of your comfort zone in order to grow!” Me again: “I repeat, what were you thinking?” Final me: “Hey, you just have to believe in yourself! Rely on your faith and do your very best! That’s what matters most!”
For the next two months I mulled over finding the right story. It needed to be one that pulled at the largest number of emotions a person could experience in five minutes (or less). With a month to go before the actual contest, I chose to tell a story about being present at the birth of our oldest child and the role encouragement would play in my life from that moment until the present day. I planned on a big finish having each member of the audience embrace a new perspective regarding encouragement and the incredible outcomes its consistent use offered in their life.
First, I wrote the story with beautiful wording, improving it after the first few runs. Then, I practiced, practiced, and practiced some more. Not to memorize it word for word, but for it to naturally flow like I was simply telling someone about something I was familiar with, which I was. Two days before the actual competition, I had the great fortune to practice my story as the speaker with a local Rotary Club. I was pleased with the results. One day before the competition, I was ready and had convinced myself that I was going to win the competition and move on to the regionals. Then the day I had been preparing for arrived.
The event had us speaking from a stage, slightly above the audience (which included people who had purchased tickets for the event, plus the 11 other competitors), and each of us were going to be recorded and provided a copy of our performance on a flash drive. The 12 of us had our name in a hat and the order we spoke in was determined by the previous speaker choosing a name after they finished. It’s hard to be first, but the speaker who was stepped onto that stage and…and…DELIVERED! I don’t think any of us remaining 11 thought the bar would be set so high right from the get-go. The second speaker hit a home run. The third speaker delivered what I feel was one of the greatest performances I’ve ever witnessed.
As the day progressed, I realized I was surrounded by a talented, passionate, and caring group of people. Right from the beginning, we were all cheering for, and encouraging, each person that had the courage to lay themselves out in front of the audience. Each speaker caused us to experience a wide range of emotions and I found myself glad I had brought some tissue along. I was the sixth to speak and felt good about my storytelling performance. It was after I spoke that I went through what has become a natural shift for me in situations like this. Many of the speakers were sharing true stories of overcoming abuse, addiction, and near-death experiences to help others who may be experiencing something similar. Throughout the day, each time a speaker finished, I felt drawn to the person so I could congratulate them, encourage them, and let them know I’ll be cheering for their future, whatever it is.
You see, I drove there that day believing that my purpose was to grow in my speaking skills and win the whole competition. But there was a hidden story that I hadn’t anticipated, within the story of how the day went, that was driven by the story I told which was going to put me in first place. What I didn’t anticipate that day was that I would be inspired to encourage all of the other speakers, that I would take such great pleasure in cheering for each of them, that I would embrace being in the presence of such capable talent, and that I would develop new friendships with people I had just met…and competed against. My purpose had taken a left turn and all of a sudden winning didn’t matter. What mattered was the connections I was making with people having the most diverse backgrounds I’ve ever encountered.
Every time I mention the contest, people ask me if I won. I’d be lying if I said I did. They handed out awards to the top three and I didn’t receive one. The speakers that did receive one had earned them. But I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t win that day. As I was driving home, I realized that I had won “big-time” as I realized I had lived out the “real purpose” of why I had signed up for the storytelling contest. Now, I have a whole new group of people to encourage and cheer for as they continue to speak to thousands of people that they’ll have a positive impact on. If you’ve been wondering about your purpose in life, make sure to look behind what’s obvious. You might find what you were meant to be doing all along. GiddyUp!
Paul White is a guest columnist and author. Purchase his life-changing book “The Answer Discovery – How to Change the World by Helping Others…and Ourselves” at http://bit.ly/PaulWhiteAmazon. If you’re interested in getting in touch with Paul, please submit an inquiry via our Contact Page.