So, who are you?
Last week we explored the idea of personal character, and ended with the exercise of brainstorming as many descriptors of yourself as possible. If you took the exercise seriously and kept going and going and going you probably hit a point where you really couldn’t think of any more things to say about yourself. By going through that one reflective exercise you have obtained more self-knowledge and clarity than most people I’ve met. Taking time to know yourself truly matters.
There is a concept in speechwriting that applies here: the throughline.
The throughline of a speech is its line of thought. Rosemary Ravinal says, “Think of it this way: the throughline is the backbone of your speech or presentation. It’s the overarching theme, message, or narrative that connects all the elements of your communication. It’s the master plan or a road map that guides both you as the speaker and your audience on the journey from beginning to end.”
It’s likely that if you look at your list of “I Ams” from last week’s exercise you will be able to tie each of your descriptors to one—or many—events in your life, each with great or hidden significance. I tie the statement “I am a husband” to my wedding day, our anniversaries, my hilarious dud of a proposal, camping trips, date nights, stubbed toes, and more. If you play music, you might tie your descriptor to a myriad of stories that begin with, “This one time, at band camp…”
Like threads through time, these descriptors are wound, twisted, and braided with each other. Some are colorful and bright and bring joy. Others not so much. This rope of life is very much a narrative, a telling, a speech.
So, what is the throughline of your story?
If I asked you to share your story with me in 3 minutes or less, what would be the overarching theme? Continuing to apply Rosemary’s definition to your life-speech, what is the message of your life? When you look back, do you see a master plan or road map?
Take some time this weekend to reflect on these questions. Where have you been? Why have you been there? How has it shaped you, shaped who you are?
Next week we’ll think look forward, and talk about where we are going with our story.