149: Storytelling Machine

WHY STORY? Do you know why you can’t say, “I’m not a storyteller?” Because you are a storytelling machine. We all are. Stories and storytelling is hardwired into our DNA. We create meaning and purpose in our lives by creating narratives. That’s how I work; that’s how you work. Each of us is a storytelling machine. You might say, “I suck at storytelling.” That may very well be. But what does that really mean? It means that you allow the random voices in your head to shape your life, moment to moment. That’s what most people do. They live in reaction to people and events. Something unpleasant happens, and they feel bad. Someone criticizes them, and they feel blue. I know. I lived my life for a long time that way. It’s like being a feather in the wind. You are helplessly blown in any direction the wind chooses. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can choose to take responsibility for the raging tide of inner voices and direct them wherever you wish. That choice, that decision, makes you a conscious storyteller. It empowers you. It gives you the ability to shape your destiny, impact the lives of others, and have a lot of fun living. That’s my preamble. It lays the foundation for your mastery of storytelling to enrich your life, other’s lives, and your business. STORYTELLING IS NOT OPTIONAL Once you accept that you are a storyteller by default, you will get excited by things you can accomplish with authentic stories that are well told. One of things you will discover in this episode is the science behind storytelling. You’ll see why teaching and selling with data alone is not effective. You’ll learn how the human responds to a good story, very much the way you did when you were a child and your parents said, “Let me tell you a story.” This short episode will be an eyeopener and it can inspire you to fall in love with storytelling for a rich life and business.