Storytelling: Pillar to Meaningful Life

Storytelling is life’s meaningful pillar that tells our story and brings clarity in our being.

The narrative illustrates who we are, our values and meaning. When asked about what life

means, most people refer to what values they hold, their desires and responsibilities, and past

experiences. “Storytelling is the story that we tell ourselves about ourselves that gives our lives

perspective”, identifying meaning and value to life. This story can change however we decide to,

it is not fixed and there are ways to edit and revise it as ‘we’ are authors of our own lives.

People who suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental difficulties, are afraid to tell

their stories or embrace their authentic selves. They believe that if they stay true to themselves

and accept the feelings they have - talk about it - they would be stigmatized. Some countries

like South Korea, “talking about emotional problems is still taboo”, said Dr. Kim Hyong-soo,

psychologist and professor at Chosun University in Gwangju, South Korea. Although, when

several artists have embrace this side of themselves and started openly talking about their

struggles and depression - BTS, Taemin, Younha, Park Kyung, etc.- they usually acquire more

meaning and satisfaction in life. Not to mention their successful careers. This also happens in

the Western World, artist such as Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Cara Delevingne, Sam Smith,

etc., have all embraced their depression story and self-authenticity that then lead them to a

better more meaningful life.

Disconnecting from our authentic selves leads to self-abandonment. Finding meaning in

life is finding where our true passion and purpose lies, to create deeper meaningful fulfillment.

Being away from self-authenticity can be caused by trauma and this leads to depression,

anxiety and other mental disorders. Tanya Maté N. D., states in an interview that, “ trauma is not

what happened, but the disconnection from self that happened as a result of whatever the

stressor was.” To reconnect with the self, “Simply having an understanding of how the

separation from self may have resulted, can bring a sense of relief,” wrote Dr. James F. Zender.

This has been reassuring for individuals who have suffered from metal disorders, such as Lady
Gaga. In her talk with Yale she mentions that youth are constantly needing an outlet to express

their pain; it leads to different kinds of behaviour that is not true to who they are, “a symptom of

their pain”. If individuals are able to recognize the actions and feelings they portray are not a

sign of who they are. Then finding meaning through life can be as simple as reflecting on how

we view ourselves and the story that we believe is true to our authenticity. Through that, our true

passions and purpose will resurface and we will attain deeper meaningful fulfillment.

The act of living up to one’s full potential is how one finds meaning in one’s own

existence. Knowing Yourself, Excelling at Critical Tasks and Taking Character and Leadership

are key areas of reaching your full potential, as Harvard Business Review stated, “Too many

people feel like victims in their careers, when in fact they have a substantial degree of control.”

People who do not feel like they have meaning and control over their lives feel more depressed.

Knowing yourself means figuring out strengths and weaknesses you might have and how they

can benefit your entire being. If you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, sharpening

your strengths and improving in your weaknesses will help you realize that you are in control of

your life and improve your potential to become better. Excelling at critical tasks can be applied

to your daily life, this can be apologizing to people you have wronged, admitting your mistakes

or simply talking about how you feel to others. Opening up to people is a critical task, especially

for those who suffer mental illnesses, excelling at this field will guarantee lesser loneliness and

increase sense of belonging. Being able to take character and leadership in your life is

important, to write and narrate your story is to take leadership over your life and create a

character that suits your authenticity.

When finding the meaning of life it is not the destination that we should be fixated on but

the experience on the journey that leads us there. “You will never be happy if you continue to

search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of

life,” a quote from Albert Camus. One study shows that 13 to 66% of social media users that

spend the most time in social media have a higher rate of falling into depression compared to
those who spend the least time. Most people are wasting their time comparing lives on social

media that they forget to live life in general. John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you

are busy making other plans”, instead of focusing on your destination, treasure the journey that

is going to get you there. A quote from Epicurus work, “We call vain pursuits the types of life that

do not tend towards happiness”, these are the types of pleasures that social media presents

and the kind of destination that distracts us from taking in meaning in our journey.

Worrying about the destinations is not contributing to our overall meaning in life, wearing

a mask to hide our true selves will only make us unhappy, and neglecting our true potential can

be an obstacle that keeps us from living meaningfully and happily. Storytelling provides a

narrative in your life that contains your true self, full potential and meaning in every journey you

take. It provides clarity and tranquility and allows you to live a life of deeper meaning. Be

authentic to yourself, find your true passion and purpose. Live in your full potential, enjoy every

aspect of your journey and not just the destination. For this will help you reach a life of deeper

meaningful fulfillment.
Work Cited

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Herman T. (4/23/2018). 2018 Sees K-pop Stars Addressing Mental Health Stressors in Industry.
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McDonald M. (July 6, 2011). Stressed and Depressed, Koreans Avoid Therapy. Retrieved
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