Last week, I shared one of my favorite stories ever. In my wife’s opinion, it’s the BEST. STORY. EVER. It was an exciting day because I love telling that story. I sat down at my laptop and started writing. About halfway through the writing process, I got a little stuck and couldn’t figure out how to move forward. Thanks to the sage advice of my better half, I took a break and went to play some video games. This usually clears my head and helps me get back on track. Unfortunately, this time it didn’t work. 

Finally, I decided to get some sleep hoping to finish writing the story and post it the next morning. Morning came and I was still in a bit of a struggle. I kept writing paragraphs only to delete them. Over and over again I would have an idea of where to go and then get stuck. Eventually, I got the post completed and with little to no thought beyond that, I hit send. Ten seconds later, I realized I didn’t reread it. No big deal I thought, I have Grammarly and there were zero little red lines on the page. That’s about the time I noticed the word “ultiamtely” and thought to myself, “That’s a bit weird.” It didn’t take long to figure out from there that something was a bit off. As it turned out, my Grammarly plug-in was not functioning, at all. 

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I got that issue corrected and the post lit up like a Christmas tree. There must have been ten to fifteen misspelled words on that page. Thankfully, I was able to fix the errors on the website. Unfortunately, for my email subscribers, there was no turning back. So, if you got that email, I am sorry. I promise to proofread from this point forward! 

On the bright side, it was a good reminder for me to slow down and give my work the effort it deserves. I love that story and I learned so much through it. It deserves the proper amount of attention and care. This realization can show us one of the most amazing things about our stories. As we share them, they continue to teach. They continue to guide and direct us toward our purpose and calling. Sharing this story about getting lost in an unfamiliar city taught me a lesson in patience and attention to detail thirteen years later. Is there a story in your life that is continuing to teach you new things even several years later? Are you looking back often enough to know if there were? I’m not about focusing on the past, but I am about learning from it. 

Our stories are the greatest tools we have that allow us to connect with others and walk alongside them. Shared stories allow us to have exceptional empathy, further understanding, and deeper relationships. But like any tool, if left unused will become a rusted-out relic of unrealized potential. Typos and deadlines aren’t going away anytime soon but like any story or situation, if we pay attention and ask the right questions, we can learn from those as well. Everything from our biggest wins to the smallest mistakes have a story to tell and a lesson to teach. What can you learn today?

Our stories are what shape us and reveal our purpose. I wrote a book called “Magic in the Mug” about this very subject. It’s filled with such stories and is all about they can help us discover a life of purpose. I’d love your help getting this book out into the world! Visit magicinthemug.com to find out more about the book and how you can be part of the team!