“The story you tell about yourself is your greatest work of art.”

—Tara Conklin, NYT Best-selling Author

Image from Unsplash by Natalia Yakovleva

Most of us have at least a handful of stories we repeatedly tell ourselves and others.

They may be tales of wit, humor, insights, adventures, and accomplishment, but they are all reruns, and rarely have much to add to our todays.

Although many are comforting and familiar, they rarely move us forward in any significant way and can often limit us from evolving and becoming an even better version of ourselves.

EXERCISE:

What new and improved stories can and will you write with this day to make it a more beautiful masterpiece?

“Stories are like little time capsules. They carry pieces of truth and meaning over time.”

—Mark Nepo, Author of The Book of Awakening

Image from Unsplash by Reuben Juarez

How old are you? Imagine you have a box containing a time capsule describing each year of your life. They contain listings of the people in your world and a vivid description of the events and stories you captured that year.

Which of those stories carried pieces of truth and meaning that still resonate for your today? How did these stories shape your personality, character, and the core values that continue to guide you?

What stories are you writing these days that you will find the next time you open capsules years from now?

EXERCISE:

Create your own time capsule over the coming weeks or months. Capture in words and Images the pieces of truth and meaning that influence you the most.

“Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.”

—Hannah Arendt, 20th Century political philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor

Image from Unsplash by Daniel Schludi

Wendy and I love going to the movies. Although we can now see thousands of films from a multitude of streaming services from home, somehow the big screen is how we most enjoy these stories.

We recently saw Death on The Nile based on Agatha Christie’s classic novel. The public rated this film considerably higher than the critics and we, too, were gripped by the twists and turns untangled by the famous Hercule Poirot. Great stories magically take us along for the ride without having to narrate everything we are supposed to see. Discovering many clues on our own and being our own sleuths is a big part of the fun.

EXERCISE:

How and where do you use storytelling to convey important messages and engage your audiences?

In what ways can you better reveal meaning without committing the error of defining it?

I enjoy the storytelling wisdom of Bernadette Jiwa. You can learn about her work at https://thestoryoftelling.com/

“Stories are more appealing than statistics.”

—Author Unknown

Image from wikipedia.org

Every Thursday evening, Wendy and I make it a priority to watch Young Sheldon on CBS. The stories of this little boy in Texas with a Nobel Prize IQ always perks up our day.

We love to see how he drives those around him nuts with his encyclopedic knowledge, and his amusing struggles with the daily aspects of growing up.

The show and its cast of quirky characters has a lot of heart. We always find ourselves cheering Young Sheldon through each adventure.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you incorporate more stories to humanize and help people better relate to your messages?

How can tapping into people’s hearts—not just their heads—better influence and engage others in your personal and professional communities?

FRIDAY REVIEW: STORYTELLING

What are the stories you tell yourself, and the ones you hear from others? Here are a few storytelling posts you may have missed.

“Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger.”

“When I look back in five years, which of these options will make the best story?”

“Consumers don’t just want to understand the story. Increasingly they want to be part of it.”