“Don’t wait for your story to be done before you share it.”

I came across this quote from Jon Acuff (the guy behind Stuff Christians Like) in a discussion on blogging from the Catalyst Conference.

Here’s the quote in context:

Writing is just about writing. Perfectionism says it needs to be perfect, which is crazy. Your story is like your life… it is not done. Don’t wait for it to be done before you share it. Often you audience helps guide your story.

What I love about this is the acknowledgement that we all have stories to share. Our lives are journeys and the story isn’t the end of the road, it’s how we get there. Which means we don’t have to wait until we’re old and gray to have something valuable to say.

I think that’s why the blogging phenomenon exploded, especially among younger people. We realize that we have something to say and it’s worth saying now. We don’t have to wait for the wisdom of old age and experience to set in before we’re allowed to add our story to the ongoing tale of humanity. We can share what we do know now, which is likely different from what we’ll know towards the end of our journey. Part of the joy of sharing it now is that we don’t know it all. We’re not perfect and we’re going to screw up. Why hide in the shadows and wait until we’ve learned the lesson so we can share it like a sage?

During the election last year one of the criticisms that baffled me was the charge of hubris against Barack Obama because he’d written multiple memoirs. For some reason he had to be old and finished with his life before he could sit down and tell worthwhile stories. For some reason he had to experience everything before he could share anything. I think that’s garbage. Even before the man became president he had lived quite a life and had something worth sharing. And that’s true of anyone, regardless of politics.

We all have stories. Don’t be afraid to share yours. Share it now while it’s fresh and can do some good. And if you feel like it, share it again in 30 years when you can add some perspective and further wisdom. There’s no rule that says our stories can’t be told now and that they can’t change with time.