Story and You - It's Essential
Before we talk about why stories are essential to you - to everyone! - let’s take a quick look at story itself. Every storyteller, be they of the oral tradition or an author of a novel, knows that a story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It must include a character or two, a story line, which is often thought of as a plot, as well as a place and a time.
What you might not know is the vital role emotion plays in story. It determines your attraction to it, the way you remember the details, and even how well you remember the details.
When dealing with your own stories, it’s interesting to note that the way you last told a story is the way it will come out the next time. Why is that important? Because truth can be distorted or ignored, though not always intentionally. It’s up to you how you relate an experience to someone else. If you are prone to embellish a story, though, your memory will file it away each time with any new embellishments. If the story...
Choose Who Writes Your Story
Story! Your story. My story. No two alike. We might share similar incidents that create interesting conversations, but experience very different outcomes. Why? Because we each react differently to similar stimuli. And why is that? Because of all we’ve experienced prior to encountering the new circumstance.
In looking back on our stories, examining our repeated stimuli/reaction scenarios can provide guidance for our future. Do we always react the same way to the same stimuli? Do we have to? Or is there even a choice?
Unlocking the power of story is easy or hard, whichever you choose. Typically it’s easy when the story is somebody else’s. It’s harder when it’s our own. We tend to cling to the idea that “That’s the way it is with me. It’s just who I am.” But is it? Would someone else look at you and your situation and think, “It’s so obvious! All you have to do is …!” But it’s hard to accept that...
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Pete Vanderpool
Pete Vanderpool is an author, workshop facilitator, and professional storyteller.
