Be Generous, Tell Us Your Stories
Saying you don’t like “talking about yourself” is misplaced modesty—it’s actually being stingy with yourself. Be generous. Tell us your stories. This is a way of talking about things that are bigger than words.
Storytelling is a basic tool of human creativity and communication. If we hear about the obstacles you’ve overcome, your story resonates with us, because we have been there. Everyone has fought to overcome obstacles in their lives.
The best stories are short and simple, specific and not general, and, they carry sensory images. You take us into the moment of your experience by sharing what you were seeing, hearing, feeling.
The reliving of a moment stirs our passion and kicks up the electricity that can create a generative process. That is to say, a story told from the heart creates new meaning and new relevance for the listener.
When you guide us into a message through story, we understand it beyond mere words. You offer your insights and the result is new insight, new meaning. This is no small thing.
“Sankofa” (SAN-KO-FA), is a West African word meaning “Go back and fetch it.” It also describes the process of going back to collect the wisdom of yesterday, in order to build for the future. If you will connect with your own experiences deeply enough, your stories will resonate with everyone.
To capture story moments from the past, build on the list of life events you identified on Friday. Consider:
A mistake I made—and what happened
A decision I made that changed my life for the better
First jobs, new jobs, losing jobs
An experience that has shaped my philosophy
Something I had to learn the hard way
My role model for leadership—my mentor
Once you identify an event that has heat, carry it around with you and let it simmer. As images come up, jot them down. What is the most powerful moment you recall? What were you seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling and feeling? What is the meaningful point when I consider how it has impacted my life?
Don’t insulate yourself and your relationships from the experience that has shaped you, your philosophy and your life. Tell the truth—your truth. It’s scary, but it’s very, very powerful. When you do, you will release all of us into authenticity.
