In this episode, I ask the question, “Who Owns Your Story?” The most valuable thing you can own in life is your story. I talk about the challenges to owning your own story, the interruptions, those who might want to co-write your story. You must choose to be the sole author of your story.
You won’t want to miss this episode. Enjoy!
ToConnect with Mike:
Website: https://mikemalatesta.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemalatesta/
Full transcript below.
Watch the video version of this episode:
Get Motivation, Inspiration, and Ideas to Level Up Your Life.
Subscribe to the How’d It Happen Podcast
Want to be the first to know when new episodes are released? Click here to subscribe




Thank you for being a How’d it Happen listener. Please enter your email address below to subscribe, or subscribe on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you like to listen.
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Write a Podcast Review
Also, podcast reviews are important to iTunes and the more reviews we receive, the more likely we’ll be able to get this podcast and message in front of more people (something about iTunes algorithms?). I’d be extremely grateful if you took less than 30 seconds and 5 clicks to rate the podcast and leave a quick review. Here’s how to do it in less than 30 seconds:
Click on This Link – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/howd-it-happen-podcast/id1441722417
Click on the “Listen on Apple Podcast” Box
Click on “Open iTunes” – You will go directly to the iTunes page for the Podcast
Click on “Ratings and Reviews”
Click on the 5thStar (or whatever one makes the most sense to you 🙂
Transcript
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
story, podcast, owns, most valuable thing, property, unachievable, tempted, episode, talk, maximize, today, solo, spouses, friday, commencement speech, conversations, greatness, influencers, choose, share
SPEAKERS
Mike Malatesta
Mike Malatesta 00:09
Hey, it’s Mike. And this is the “How’d It Happen?” Podcast, the solo series. Every Friday, I do a short solo episode, usually less than 10 minutes. And I think today’s will fit into that where I talk about or share a lesson that I’ve learned and experienced, where I’ve had a person that I’ve met, something that I’ve heard, something that interests me that I hope will also interest you, get you thinking and help you maximize your greatness, which is my mission on this podcast.
So today’s episode is called, “Who Owns Your Story?” Who owns your story? And I was inspired to do this by a commencement speech that I gave to a local high school back in May of 2022, this year, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. And I’ve been sharing my thoughts about this, because I feel like it’s really important to understand who owns your story. There’s another thing I say all the time, make your future your property. In other words, to own your future, you have to be pretty clear about who owns your story. So it goes like this.
The most valuable thing you can own in life is your own story. So how do you feel about your story? Is your story really your story? Or do you have co-writers and influencers who are telling you what your story should be? When are you going to choose to write your story, if that’s the case? Well, like everything, there’s no better time to start something, and no better day to do it than today. To choose to be the sole author of your story, to choose that your property belongs solely to you. The story that you own, the one that is your property, the one that is you. The story that’s no longer your parents, your teachers, your bosses, your spouses, your friends or anyone else’s. The one story that is yours, no matter how absurd, unbelievable or unachievable it might sound to others. And you know that once you own your own story, you’re on the road to achieving it.
But I’ll tell you that owning your own story isn’t easy. There will be many challenges along the way. Sometimes you will be the challenge. You’ll get up in your head and you’ll tell yourself silly stories like I’m not good enough. I don’t compare. I wish I was, and other nonsense like that. And when that happens, you have to believe in you. You have to get off the road that those stories are on and get back on your road. You own the road that your story is on. And sometimes you’ll let other people mess with your story. When you’re tempted to let other people’s stories trespass on yours, and believe me, you will be tempted, I know I’m tempted, please remember that no one can take your property. What you believe becomes what you do, and builds who you are. The most valuable thing you own is your story. Own it, protect it and be proud of it. And don’t let other people mess with your story.
Thanks for listening. Thanks for joining me today. I hope you got some value out of this podcast. And if you did, shoot me a note about it. leave a review. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe to this podcast. Please do so wherever you like to listen to podcasts because it’s everywhere. Until next time, next Friday, maybe, or next Monday for my guest episode which is a little longer, about an hour where I have great conversations with really successful people about how it happened for them and, and more importantly why it matters to you. Until next time, please maximize your greatness.