GOING BACK TO THE STORY

Going back to the story of how I came to be at this current place in my life always leads me back to my “why” ie purpose (see previous blog post for clarity). It’s no wonder when I finally caught up on Michelle Obama‘s documentary “Becoming” on Netflix in early May, her words struck a cord with me. She said “we focus too much on stats and not the story”. And as someone who finds herself in the influencer world, I couldn’t agree more. Brands are always after social media stats and influencers alike. A lot of brands don’t look deeper than the flashy numbers to find out more about influencers – getting to know them and what makes them do what they do, the way they do it. I can’t help but recognise how much of a missed opportunity it is for brands to find common ground especially when trying to deliver a unique message.

It is very easy to be captivated by the numbers and I’ve seen it firsthand in the influencer space which is natural given the emphasis brands have placed on it. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been at an event and tried to engage with other influencers on a human level but often get ignored, that is, until they find out how many followers I have and suddenly they want to get to know me. I mean, if social media didn’t exist, would they still want to know me. It’s a question I often ask myself. As someone who has been in many spaces where I’ve often felt invisible, I find myself more drawn more to getting to know people as opposed to their social media stats. I’m sure many influencers alike can relate. Which is why on my “Coffee Diaries“ series over on YouTube, I always stress the need to focus on your story as it is what sets you apart from everyone else. The nuance that exists with life experiences is what allows you to draw uniqueness from it.

As an accountant, I’d be remiss not to point out that numbers do tell a story, but not the whole story. Hence why there are accompanying footnotes to financial statements explaining how the numbers came to be. The stats paints a picture, and the story takes us deeper to find meaning to it all. In delving into our stories, we get to understand ourselves a lot more. This doesn’t mean dwelling on things that have caused us pain, but instead focusing on the lessons drawn from those experiences.

As a champion of introspection, looking inwards is always my starting point, which was why when Michelle Obama said those words, it reminded me of my dear aunt. An aunt by marriage. Chiwendu she’s called. Which means “God is patient” in my native tongue, Igbo. She came to spend a summer holiday with us when I was around 11 years old or thereabout. It was a 3 months holiday with not very much to do so I decided to spend some time with her as she carried on with her daily house chores. I asked her so many questions as I was intrigued by her life experiences. She was the first person I had met who went abroad to to gain a university qualification despite not coming from a wealthy background. She loved to cook and bake so I shadowed her while she taught me her techniques over tales of her life abroad. This moment in time, albeit brief was the starting point of the expansion of my mind.

The lessons my aunt taught me would stay with me even until this very day. At university, when I found myself running low on cash, I set up a catering service where I baked and cooked for other students. I also knew how to braid and style hair, so I did that as well and would recruit my sister and friends as assistants. My aunt gave me a picture of herself on her graduation day, and I took it with me everywhere I could including when I moved to the UK. It serves as a gentle reminder of where and when the dream all began and why it was even possible for me to dream in the first place.

After years of losing touch with my aunt due to personal issues she had to deal with, Michelle‘s documentary reminded me of her. And then began my journey of reconnecting. After a couple of days of reaching out to family members, I finally got her contact details. She was elated to hear from me, and so was I, knowing that she was doing just fine and still being her very optimistic self. I don’t think she quite understands how much of an impact she had on my life following our time together albeit brief. Still, I find myself grateful for such a life changing encounter.

Going back to the story – to my story, means revisiting the moments that brought about growth and change. It is there I find the connections and sometimes meaning of it all. Because let’s face it, life would be a rather dry affair without our stories.

Thanks for reading “Going Back To The Story”. As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram where I post daily and subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly videos.

Access my free resources including my ebook, Lightroom presets and templates here for free and begin using them.