Did Shakespeare change the world?
A friend of mine is a beautiful writer. As yet unpublished, she finds herself compelled to blog about her life and her experiences. Increasingly this involves writing about loving men, toxic masculinity and the changes that are needed.
Tonight she asked me if there was any point. She is but one woman, sitting alone in her home, writing about some lofty aspiration she would like to see realised. What could sharing her thoughts possibly change?
My response was, “Did Shakespeare change the world?”
Whether you love Shakespeare (like I do) or loathe him, there is no doubt his stories changed the world. His plays were artfully composed commentaries on daily life. His words shone a light on the tragedy and comedy of the human experience.
I daresay Shakespeare doubted the power of his work. What could one playwright change in the world? I’m sure he changed quite a lot.
Our words are powerful when they reach the right people. But we can’t always know who the right people are because so many of us hide our true struggles behind a nicely-presented and socially acceptable façade.
If you feel compelled to share your stories, your perspectives and your passions about how we can make this world a better place, then don’t hesitate.
If you feel compelled to share stories that will entertain, explore or challenge, then share those too.
My friend feels compelled to share her stories because they are meaningful and reflect her experience. You can be sure they will resonate with others too.
Real stories are like that. They reach the right people who need to hear them at the right time. But, as storytellers, we may never know those details. We can only assume that when we feel called to share our story, someone out there needs to hear it.
If you are hesitating to share your story and speak the truths that others need to hear, reach out and let’s talk. This is one of the things I specialise in – helping Anonymous Storytellers to share their stories with the world.