The Gospel Of You: Start Telling Your Story

By Thomas Roberts

Being able to tell your own story in different scenarios, situations, under pressure, under any circumstance, and in any setting can be the difference between a life of advancement and opportunity or a life mired in mediocrity and regret. Preaching your own Gospel is a wonderful way to not only give people insight to what makes you tick but it a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Manuscripts LLC
• Release date: May 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798889260370

Book preview

Gospel_of_you_cover.jpg

Contents

Introduction

Part 1.Born into Cin(cinnati)

Where Are You From? Cincinnati—A Great American City

A Little Brother and a Little Scared

Born Follower, Bred Leader

Stuck in the Middle (School)

Five Dollars for Every (A)

Valedictorian—All Honors, All League, All Everything

Part 2.Journey through the West… Point

All the Talent in The World—My Father’s Message

Uncomfortable, Unfamiliar, Uncertain

Prepared for Prep School

Big Boy School

New Identity—True Identity

Part 3.It’s Time to Tell Your Story

Graduation Day!

Tell Them What You’ve Learned!

Who We Are and What We Do… Share Your Gospel!

Acknowledgments

Introduction

It’s time to start telling your story, and so I’m telling you mine! I recently discovered how difficult this could be for some of us. In late summer 2022, at a national sales recruiting conference in Atlanta, Georgia, I stood on the edge of our hiring booth. We were among a sea of eager candidates dressed in their Sunday best, résumés in hand, looking to join some of the top medical device companies in the world. Most of the candidates looked reluctant to step into the booth, so I greeted them with excitement.

Have you thought about, or are you considering, joining us? I asked one of them.

Maybe, they replied.

I thought, Why maybe? We are one of the best companies in the world. Who wouldn’t jump at a surefire opportunity to put their best foot forward and at least take a shot at this?

Let me see your résumé, I said.

This person was extremely qualified to join this company, as I had done almost a year before. The candidate’s résumé was filled with experience, accomplishments, accolades, and achievements. I wanted to know more! I wanted to know them on a deeper level, as I was intrigued at how they ended up at a hiring conference with such an extensive work history and success. In that moment, I was positioned to screen them and, based on my judgment, I could move them ahead to my hiring manager for a position within our company. For me, this was a way to change the lives of people who had been overlooked and just needed a shot and the opportunity to get in front of people that mattered within the industry.

Tell me your story! I said to the candidate.

What do you mean? they replied.

Tell me your background, where you are from, what you’ve done, how you got here.

The candidate told exactly what was on their résumé without context. More interestingly, they downplayed a lot of their achievements as if what they had accomplished had no significance to them or anyone else. I probed a bit more, asking simple questions like, Where did you grow up, what did you do in college, where have you traveled, why are you looking for a new job, where do you live now? I was attempting to connect with them, and I was alarmed by their lack of response. They didn’t think their personal story mattered.

Surely this was a special case. However, as the day went on, mostly all the candidates, especially the Black men, both young and experienced, acted the same way. At the end of day one, I was mentally exhausted from all the probing and prodding in my attempts to qualify the more-than-qualified candidates. I felt that I was working harder to qualify the candidates than they were to qualify themselves.

If you are reading this, you probably spent most of your young adult years contemplating the importance of your achievements and the real meaning of your failures. It is a challenge to process the meaning of your story and its importance beyond your own life. No one can really prepare you for the journey you embark on beyond your childhood years. Beyond sharing our personal story with close friends, we rarely find ourselves in situations where we can share our stories with others and reflect on our journey. I believe that when we share our personal journey with others beyond our close friends, we can begin to discover our true selves. Your story matters, and sharing our stories gives us a medium to discover our true selves and positively influence others.

In today’s current social and political environment, it can be tough to discover and rediscover your true identity. Sharing your story can be the start of solving this identity crisis, while at the same time assisting others to do the same. Telling the world about our personal journeys gives all of us the opportunity to reflect on our successes, our failures, our processes, our friendships. More importantly, we can gain the opportunity to reconnect with those who helped and encouraged us to become and behave as our authentic selves.

I have had great experiences in interviewing for positions throughout my career. I’ve worked for three of the top medical device companies in the world as well as one of the top financial consultant companies in the world. When interviewing for jobs, I know for sure if I make it to the formal interview process, I would be in a great position to get a formal job offer. My background, pedigree, and consistency of success through failure and adversity give me a unique perspective on achievement. If crushing a job interview was a job, I’d be a millionaire!

As I reflected on how I’ve done this, it dawned on me, I always find a way to tell my story! It doesn’t matter who the audience is, I’ve found ways to connect with people, by telling my story. To me, the greatest story of all time is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His story is written by different storytellers for different audiences, but there are a few central themes consistent throughout the four Gospels.

Writers, speakers, preachers, etc. use the Gospel of Jesus Christ to connect to their own gospel, with the hopes of inspiring people to change or transform. Flying home from Atlanta at the end of that week, I had an epiphany. I needed to find a way to help people tell their own story and, more importantly, preach their own gospel!

Your story is important, and being able to preach your own gospel is a wonderful way to not only give people an insight into what makes you tick but also allow you to confidently connect with people professionally and personally.

Sometimes we fall in the trap of only telling people a one-sided story of accomplishments and numbers without giving them any context to who, what, when, where, why, or how. Answering important questions about your mother, father, lineage, last name, birthplace, where you have been, and who you know, unprompted, allows you to connect with individuals intimately and allows them to understand you and your value.

Furthermore, you can take them on an adventure that will make them feel as if they’ve just watched a biopic movie, historical documentary, or an epic story of life, death, and resurrection—the gospel of you!

People are waiting to get to know you! You are a descendant of someone great, yet you may not believe that your life’s story signifies that you were sent for something bigger! Many people recognize who you could potentially be, but they do not understand who you are because they do not know your pedigree, background, and history. Your story and accomplishments are about the differences between you, against or among everyone else. Your story helps people understand your tenants, mottos, and mantras. Your gospel gives people insight into your standards, your failures, and your rejections.

I’ve heard it said that the world does not owe you or me sympathy or understanding as many people may not recognize or acknowledge who you are and what you stand for. We must see value in ourselves and not reject the part of us that can be valuable to all who seek to know us! When the world knows your story, it gains a better understanding of your source of power and ability to overcome real and/or perceived difficulties and failures! And with all the evidence presented, why shouldn’t they accept you?

When people know your story, your arrival into any scenario is not unexpected or unannounced; the world knows you are coming! You are unique, and you have a certain set of skills, experience, faith, and wisdom that is worth sharing. You must have a part of you that allows people in and assists people in understanding your humanity. Your life’s story has a tapestry, a theme, or a pattern that gives others insight into your success, how you live, and what to expect from you.

No matter who you are or where you are from, you have a story to tell, and it matters! You must be your own witness even though some will choose to ignore your oncoming presence, and thus you must take time to cultivate your own gospel (good news) and find ways to tell your own story so people feel compelled to communicate, partner, and serve with you.

I’ve gone through periods of impostor syndrome personally, professionally, and socially. I did not want to give the world deeper insight to my journey for fear of being judged or found out. I wanted the best part of me to be highlighted, however, and I never wanted people to discover who I truly was and what I really believed. Yet as I continued to grow and develop, I discovered that individuals, teammates, colleagues etc. get a real kick out of hearing about my life’s journey and witty perspective on travel, academics, military life, church, and family dynamics. This book is not a how to book, this book is more like a how did you? book.

Essentially, through my story, I want to urge and encourage you to preach your own gospel! What would happen to you and for you if you decided to share your story with the world? What would happen if you decided to find a way to connect with people authentically without fear of being judged? How great would it feel to help and encourage people by sharing your personal testimony of success and achievement? Honestly, I don’t have those answers; only you do.

This book is intended to help you uncover those answers. Through The Gospel of You, you can gain clarity on your own story and the journey you have yet to take to discover your own gospel. Tell the world your story; share with them the gospel of you!

This is my story, my journey, my good news, my gospel.

PART ONE

Born into Cin(cinnati)

Chapter 1

Where Are You From? Cincinnati—A Great American City

My name is Thomas Roberts, I am from Cincinnati, Ohio, my mom is a retired cop,