Storytelling is how we make sense of the world and forge connections with others. It makes us feel better. Storytelling, and writing, at its essence is what it means to be human. Writers often say things like, “Writing saved my life” and “Writing is like food and water.” Make no mistake; this is not hyperbole. These comments are facts. 

Narrative Healing is based on the premise that our stories exist to heal. They live in our bodies and have a benevolent purpose. They exist to keep us safe and support our personal well-being, our natural ecosystem, our community, and our world. We see this in nature all around us—trees shed leaves to benefit the earth, flowers release pollen to spread their seeds, and animals eliminate to fertilize the ground. Our stories exist in this same container. Not only do our stories help us individually, each story we take in and give out has the potential to help someone else—even when we don’t intend it. It’s automatic; each of our bodies holds a story someone else needs. 

Our Bodies Are Our Stories

The healing power of sharing your story is not based on whether you hold a position of power in our culture, and it’s not based on literary merit, nationality, race, class, religion, sexuality, gender It goes deeper than that. It’s biological. Our bodies are our stories, and we tell our stories to release them, the same way we need to sweat, eliminate, or exhale in order to be alive and to heal. How, where, and when we release them is an indication of our basic wholeness and sense of safety. 

We see the benefits of sharing stories all around us—they fuel political revolutions and social justice reform. They’re the glue that holds communities together, and they offer creative inspiration and joy. 
When you release the story you are meant to share, it will create new meaning. 

Most people I work with are coming to the page because there’s something they have to say, something they want to shed light on, or some way they hope to help. Think back now to your intention from the first part: Has anything changed? Do you want to make any adjustments? Anything to add? Consider taking a moment to write it down now. "

Taking the Risk to Share It

Your stories are not designed to stay stagnant and inside. You need to share your stories for them to fulfill their purpose of supporting and inspiring growth. They are meant to grow, spread, connect, inspire, and thrive. This is how we grow beyond the confines of our lived experience. This is how we heal ourselves, realize our potential, and help others. We’re just wired that way; we’re social creatures, and we need each other to transform and ultimately find joy and bring our voices to a larger community. 

This process of sharing begins within, and you’re already doing it if you’ve gotten this far in the book. It starts with somatic awareness, compassionate listening, and building a practice and connection with a higher power. At this point, you might not even need to try; sharing could become the natural outcome of the work you have already done. 

Personal writing offers limitless opportunities for personal growth and transformation, but the real magic happens when you let your story leave your body and take the risk of letting others relate to, feel, and engage with it. Melissa Febos writes, “Transforming my secrets into art has transformed me. I believe that stories like these have the power to transform the world. That is the point of literature, or at least that’s what I tell my students. We are writing the history that we could not find in any other book. We are telling the stories that no one else can tell, and we are giving this proof of our survival to each other.” 

Something Unexpected

I’ve seen this happen in hundreds of ways in my career working with writers at every stage of development. I’ve seen it in illness memoirs, manifestos, literary triumphs, and from whistleblowers, healers, and doctors. I’ve also seen this in groups I’ve led and been a part of when people share personal stories in the community, on the page, in text or email, or verbally, and simply in the manner they hold their bodies and share their stories silently. 

Over the years I’ve worked with survivors of sexual assault, people living with cancer, people living with chronic pain, doctors, nurses, activists, social workers, college students, esteemed writers, homeless mothers, and many others. When they release their personal stories into the world, those narratives can act like bread crumbs for the next person on their path.

I’ve seen this work miracles big and small; they can come in the form of a published work and in the myriad ways we communicate with each other—texts, emails, social media posts, our voices, and the way we move through the world. This is true in both low-stakes and high-stakes environments. True stories from peers sharing similar stories of survival often offer more healing than any amount of expert professional advice. When a story is shared, it becomes something larger and often something unexpected. 

While the stories and details change, what always remains the same is the stories that impact the world the most are the ones that are spoken from the heart, sharing a personal experience others can relate to. You don’t need to be fancy, famous, influential, or have a lot of followers to make a global impact with your story.... Every story matters. 

Excerpt from Narrative Healing: Awaken the Power of Your Story by Lisa Weinert @ 2023 Lisa Weinert. Published by Hachette.