You Are Your Story (the Past, Present and Future)
People don’t admire you because you are perfect, they admire you because you are relatable.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why some stories stay with us long after we’ve heard them, while others disappear the moment we scroll past.
Two people can talk about the same thing, but only one person makes you feel something. I realised it’s not really about the right words or perfect delivery.
It’s about honesty, it’s the little you of yourself that you allow people to see. Now, that’s what the whole Past, Present and Future way of storytelling is really about.
It’s not a content strategy that people repeat online. It’s simply being human. I believe this way of storytelling mirrors the way we live, the way we grow, and the way we carry our experiences.
Let me explain it the way I understand it.
Your Past: the background of YOU
Your past is the part of your story, you don’t always talk about loudly. Sometimes because it’s painful, other times because it’s embarrassing and you’ve outgrown it so much that it feels far away.
The fact is, your past is where the roots of your story live. Those nights you pushed through even when you had no clue what you were doing. The fear you felt the first time you tried something new.
Those moments you failed and pretended you were fine. Times when you doubted yourself but still carried on with shaky steps.
Your past is full of scenes most people never saw. Yet, when you share those parts, not in a glamorous, dramatic way, but simply as they were, something beautiful happens. People begin to see themselves in you.
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They remember their own beginnings. Their own mess and their own fears. You remind them that everyone starts somewhere.
You remind them that becoming is not a straight line and the most interesting part is this, people don’t admire you because your past is perfect. They admire you because you are relatable.
Your past is not who you are anymore, but it’s the reason you are who you are today.
Your Present: Where you’re still figuring YOU out
The present is the part most of us think is too ordinary to talk about because we think, who wants to hear about my everyday life? But that’s exactly where the real connection happens.
Your present is fresh, it’s unfinished, full of many half done plans, ongoing struggles, and small victories you’re quietly proud of.
This is the part where
You’re still learning.
You’re still trying.
You’re still adjusting.
You’re still showing up.
Strangely, this is the part your audience often appreciates the most, your now. When you speak from your present, you’re not speaking as someone who has completed the journey. You’re speaking as someone who is still on the road.
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People love to see the process. They love to see what effort looks like in real time. They love to see you working on yourself, your craft, your dreams, not perfectly, but consistently.
Talking about your present means letting people into your ordinary world. What you’re building, what scares you, what excites you, the routines you rely on, the doubts you’re fighting, the lessons you picked up just yesterday.
It makes your story human.
It makes you trustworthy.
It makes people feel like they are walking with you not watching you from afar.
Your Future: the part that requires courage to say YOU out loud
The future is the part that feels fragile and vulnerable because it hasn’t happened yet. That vulnerability is exactly what makes it beautiful.
Sharing your future means sharing your hopes, your goals, your vision, even when you don’t fully know how things will unfold.
It means saying, I’m aiming for this, even when you’re still unsure. It’s basically painting a picture of the life you’re trying to create. Letting people see the direction your heart is pointing toward.
Your future should not be about certainty, it should be about intention. It’s about the dreams that pull you forward when you feel tired.
Your future is the version of you that you’re becoming gradually, quietly and faithfully. When you share it, people don’t judge you for not having all the answers.
In fact, they lean in because everyone, in their own way, is trying to imagine their future too. Sometimes, your story gives them courage to think about theirs.
Why do all these three parts matter together. This the beautiful twist in all of this (past, present, future) Nobody meets you in your past. Nobody meets you in your future.
Everybody meets you somewhere in the messy middle of the present. Some will connect with who you used to be. Some will understand exactly where you are now. Some will be inspired by where you’re going.
That’s why the Past, Present, Future approach works without forcing anything. It allows people to find their own reflection inside your story.
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Your past gives them the context of YOU.
Your present gives them the connection to YOU.
Your future gives them the hope of YOU.
Together, these three create something timeless, the kind of storytelling that doesn’t just entertain people, but stays with them long after your words end.
At the end of the day, we all just want to feel understood. We want to hear stories that remind us that we’re not the only ones trying, failing, learning, dreaming, doubting, growing.
PPF storytelling does that effortlessly. It reminds us that being human is a journey, not a destination.
When you share from all parts of yourself, not just the shiny parts, but the vulnerable ones too, you give people a gift.
You make them feel seen.
You make them feel less alone.
You make them feel like their story matters too.
That’s the joy of Past, Present, Future storytelling. Don’t forget, it’s not a method. It’s just the most honest way to tell your truth.
