A friend shared a bit of wisdom which still lingers with me; “if you are ever unsure about what you should say, always use the truth. It is the easiest thing to remember.”
As I teased the early stories out of different founders, it was interesting to see how stories evolved. There was a common twist is moving from what each perceived I wanted to hear to what they wanted to share. For several, it was less of a pivot than a change in the perspective of the storyteller. A move from being packed and wrapped to messy and random sequence of events, experiences, and memories.
An authentic story is always more believable than a packaged one. At times, I find it hard to tell an authentic story succinctly. There are details, nuances, and textures which provide color and depth. Knowing which ones are helpful and which are just noise can be difficult. Real is, with stories, always better than synthetic.
Some of the strongest stories recently have also been simple and random. Two parents struggling to find toothpaste which worked for their two-year-old was integral to the business proposition at hand. Life is not always planned and organized. The natural chaos of the day does not diminish it or make it less credible.
Each story, within itself, does not always come with a clean finish or conclusion. It may be one step of many, or an excerpt which created an awareness, insight or the early stage of a light-bulb moment which came later. The punch line is never our whole life. The punch lines are found in the steps we take, especially when no one is looking.
I have been reminded how important truth is to a strong starting point. No matter what, life reminds me to let the truth create an awareness from the beginning. This awareness creates hope filled opportunities.
The psalmist struck a resonating chord with the declaration; “If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?” (Psalm 130.3). The story is surprising, especially given everyone has a chance.
