You want to write. So, you start reading blogs and books about writing and get the same advice: Write about your life. Write what you know.

You get so inspired reading story after story about famous writers who came from humble beginnings.

But then reality sets in. Do you really know how to find your story?

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You think about your own life and it doesn’t seem that special. Your family’s not perfect, but for now, everybody seems to be doing fine. Your job is okay. You’re not rich, but you have enough money to cover your bills.

Then it hits you.

“My life is so boring!”

This thought is a lie.

You are not boring. Every person really does have a story.

But, what makes a person interesting?

Sometimes an extraordinary experience makes life interesting. Other times, it’s an extraordinary reaction to an ordinary experience.

You can share your story in a compelling way, even if you have a “normal” life.

Here are four questions that will show you how to find your story.

1. Where are you now?

You could write about the stage of life you’re in and the everyday joys and challenges that come with it.

Some examples: Are you single, married or divorced? Do you have kids? If so, how old are they (babies, elementary school, teens, etc.)?

People love reading blogs and books that show someone else going through the same stage of life they’re in.

2. What makes you happy?

You can also talk about your hobbies and interests (cooking, traveling, art, faith, pop culture, etc.). If you’re really interested in something, then there’s a good chance there are groups of people who share this same interest.

During college, I once told my roommate I actually enjoyed writing research papers (most of the time) and I wished I could get paid to just write papers all day. My roommate said there are names for people like me. They’re called writers, journalists, and researchers (and, now, bloggers).

3. What breaks your heart or pisses you off?

Sometimes bad things happen to us, and to the people we love. It’s okay to be sad or angry whenever we or someone we know experiences pain, loss, injustice or mistreatment. Writing about this can help you connect and relate to other people who share these same experiences.

You can write about how to cope with pain and loss. Or you can share ways to get involved in facing certain problems and finding answers to help others lead better lives.

4. What lessons have you learned?

What have you learned about life from your own experiences or from your family and friends? When we think of lessons learned, we usually think of bad situations first. You could write about a bad experience to help people either avoid or cope with the results and lessons learned from this situation.

But it’s important to remember that valuable lessons can come from positive situations, too.

For example, if your parents are still happily married to each other, you may have learned about what a loving relationship looks like.

So, the next time you start having doubts about why you should write and share your story with others, ask yourself these four questions.

Your answers may surprise you. And they might even lead to more questions.

Then use these questions and answers to write your story and share it with the world! There’s a group of people asking these same questions who are waiting to hear from you.

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Did this post inspire and help you? How did you find your story? Share your advice, writing experiences and questions in the comments section below.