No matter what the story, no matter who is telling it, others can relate and benefit.
Stories connect people. They translate our experiences into words that convey a narrative to which others can relate. They make sense of complexity so others can understand.
We tell stories of past accomplishments and failures, what we have done and what we have learned. Our ability to tell our stories makes us authentic and real and helps us to connect and engage with other human beings. Our stories help others dream of possibilities or know they are not alone.
Stories also help us make sense of the past so we can live in the present and look ahead to the future. We tell stories to help others relate to the world around us. We seek stories that help us make sense of that world. Women in particular benefit from each other’s stories. Our experiences shape who we are and our stories serve to inform, inspire, motivate, encourage, comfort, and provide strength.
What has struck me is how women come together in support of one another through stories. They may have everything or nothing in common, but through stories share a desire to help each other survive, thrive, and achieve success on their own terms.
In 2010, I published a collection of stories by women writers that chronicles the need to press pause in life and the personal experiences and transformations that accompany change. What I learned is that “the power of pressing pause is in the stories women share with each other about their individual goals and dreams, challenges and obstacles, successes and achievements. Storytelling is the key to hitting ‘play’ and moving forward with a strong belief in oneself and one's purpose. No matter what the story, no matter who is telling it, others can relate and benefit."
We are all storytellers and our stories can inspire and change the world around us. Here are three things to remember for compelling storytelling:
- Write your stories. We accumulate many stories during our lives. Remembering them over time can be a challenge. When we are asked to share stories during interviews, panels, presentations, networking, or mentoring, our memories can fail us. A solution? Write your stories in advance. I have executive students in the Compelling Communicator course write and edit three stories about an accomplishment, a failure or lesson learned, and a mentor who influenced them.
- Balance your stories. We all experience good times and bad times. When we tell our stories, we need to hit the high notes and low notes. Voices that are honest and authenticate resonate to others when we share accomplishments, failures, crises, or mistakes. Transparency in storytelling makes us multi-dimensional, approachable, and real.
- Live your stories. Each day, our experiences translate into new stories. Pay attention to the details in real time. What is the challenge or conflict? What obstacles get in the way? Where does tension build? How does the experience affect us and others? Keep a notebook or journal, or schedule a daily recurring meeting you can use as an online diary.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any other person or entity.