If you’ve been reading my blog posts, then you’re familiar with my life story. From it, I have built a multimillion-dollar brand and have created my one-man show. However, I believe you’re also interested in knowing why such stories are important not only to you or your business but, most of all, to your clients. With that in mind, here are five reasons why learning and sharing other people’s life stories matters.

What is the Value of a Life Story?

Know The Habits Of Successful People

Do you know the one thing that binds all self-made millionaires and the best motivational speakers? They share common values, attitudes, and habits — all of which contribute to their success. Above all else, probably the most telling characteristic of a successful person is their determination. They just never give up on their goals. These same goals that bring them through failures and rejections also ignite their motivation to make things happen.

There is no overnight success story. I am not one. It took me many years before I achieved my vision, which is helping other people achieve theirs.  I struggled, going through a dark period where I was depressed and almost died of drug overdose.

There is no generic formula for success, but learning the life story of others will give you an insight on how they were able to overcome the challenges that stood in their way. You will also learn what kind of values guide their purpose for wanting to succeed.

Avoid The Same Mistakes

People make mistakes – I do. I remember the time when I was so drunk and cocky during one of my seminars that I ended up embarrassing myself. The experience crushed me.

A person’s life story can be filled with these faults. Whether these are intentional or deliberate mistakes, that’s up to the person. The main message here is they contain a very valuable lesson, which is to avoid the same mistakes they did.

Wrong decisions are unavoidable. In fact, going through rough times will certainly be better for you in the long run. These rock bottoms are how you can connect with your clients.

You see, clients come to you because they have a dream or a vision for themselves. They want to be healthy; they want to be rich and pay off their debts; or they want to be just like you. Whatever it is, they have something they couldn’t fully grasp.

Your job is to make sure they can visualize this dream and vision. The only way you can do that is to make yourself living proof. If you can get past the same problem, then they can too.

Stop Comparing Yourself

When I was young, I couldn’t help but compare myself with others. Why can’t I be like them and be successful? There was always the nagging feeling of proving myself and my worth, especially to others. That’s why I worked hard, rose to the top, and became one of the best-selling agents in New York Life. Still, that wasn’t enough to make me happy.

Self-comparison is a struggle that a lot of people go through, but remember, your life story doesn’t have to be like theirs. Not everyone finds success at an early age. Many of the people around you, even celebrities, have gone through hell and back. They made hundreds of wrong decisions before they finally got it right. Now their stories give others hope that they too can fulfill their own dreams and solve their problems.

You have your own life story to tell. It is unique — only you can share it with the world. So don’t compare yourself to the people around you. You have your own brand of success.

Create Your Own Successful Life Story

How do you discover who you truly are so you can step into your greatness? https://t.co/POGMGkU2Gd pic.twitter.com/CzmqSuZTHH

— Ted McGrath (@ted_mcgrath) June 15, 2017

One successful life story I like to share is that of Alex. Alex Moscow was 21 years old when he attended one of my live events. He didn’t have any idea how to build a business or start his own program. In addition, he had a distinct problem: he is a stutterer. But he persisted, worked hard with me, and learned my techniques. On his first event, he had only 9 to 10 people. But in less than three days, he generated more than $70,000 in total sales.

I love sharing these kinds of stories, because they motivate people. It’s possible to make your own success despite the challenges and limitations. You can be your own unique brand that provides you the financial freedom and life’s purpose you’ve dreamed of.

Increase Your Chances Of Success

I always believe the people around you define you. If you want to be positive, then be with positive people. If you want to succeed, be with those who are hungry for knowledge, have the passion, are disciplined, and are more than willing to learn and win the game. A life story can help you tell which individuals deserve your company.

Though you can learn a lot from the people you look up to, nothing will come out of it if you don’t apply what you learn. A person’s life story is useful only if you take action. Get inspiration, learn, and be motivated.

Whose successful life story inspires you the most? Share it with me in the comments section below!

Up Next: 21 Ways to Perfect the Art of Storytelling