And how has doing this changed your life for the better?

I started writing personal stories about 15 years ago when I wanted to learn more about how my family came to the United States from Pakistan. I was seven years old and didn’t know the details; I wanted to record this aspect of our family’s history for my kids and for future generations. Even though my background is in writing, I never made the time to write my own story. So I signed up for a personal essay writing class in my town so I would have a homework assignment, some sense of accountability, and the discipline to actually do it. Then I interviewed my parents, looked through old family albums and wrote the story as a class assignment. Unexpectedly, the piece ended up getting published.

I started getting emails from people of different backgrounds and faith traditions, saying that they hadn’t met a Muslim before, and that by reading my story they felt like they now had a Muslim friend. That was my aha moment – I realised the power of our stories, not only to record our experiences for ourselves, but also to help us connect with each other, dispel stereotypes and promote understanding. By sharing a story or learning about someone else’s story, you start to build a relationship. Our stories bring us closer together, because they reveal our shared humanity.

Through my most recent project reading reflections left in the yellow journals, I realise that even anonymous stories have the power to soften our hearts and develop empathy for others; we realise we’re not alone, that others are going through challenges too, and that just sharing a few words of encouragement can make an impact.

By sharing personal stories through my books and newsletter, readers share their stories with me too, and some amazing friendships have developed. I truly believe it’s by getting to know each other better through our stories that we can promote more understanding, civility and peace.

One Good Thing: “Writing down your story is powerful – everyone should do it”