September 3, 2025  

Your Story Is the Key | WT #127

Darren Smith

Mission, Weekly TRUTH

Because you’re not just the product of your past—you’re the steward of its meaning. We all have a story. But most of us never take the time to understand the one we’re living. Our culture trains us to edit out the mess, highlight only the victories, and fast-forward through the slow, unremarkable parts. But the truth is, our mission is often hidden in the very parts of our story we tend to overlook—or even try to forget! If we want to live a mission that is authentic and lasting, we have to begin with this: the raw material of your life matters. The people who shaped you, the moments that broke you open, the books and music that stirred something in your soul—these aren’t just memories. They’re signals. The call to mission doesn’t arrive in a vacuum. It emerges from meaning. And meaning often emerges from the moments that changed you—especially the ones that didn’t come with clear answers. Your story holds the clues to what you’re uniquely positioned to offer. That includes not only your talents and strengths, but also the wounds you’ve survived, the questions you still carry, and the ideals you can’t let go of. Ask yourself:
  • Who has left a permanent mark on your life?
  • What events have shaped your values—your sense of right and wrong, of purpose and potential?
    • Note: Don’t be surprised if these are events you may have preferred to forget, let alone share with others.
  • Where do you feel most alive, most burdened, or most called to act?
You are not just a passive character in this story. You are its narrator, its interpreter, and its steward (not to mention the “Hero”...but don’t that go to your head). When you begin to embrace your story—truthfully, humbly, courageously—you unlock the foundation of a mission only you can fulfill. Your story doesn’t disqualify you from your mission. It prepares you for it.

This article was last modified on September 3, 2025 .

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About the author 

Darren Smith

Darren Smith is Co-Founder of the Authentic Leadership Institute. He is a native Texan and a graduate of Dallas Jesuit and Texas A&M University. Over the past 25 years, Darren has visited 35 countries and led 100 strategy programs. He and his wife have five children.

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