subject: What Is It About Storytelling? [print this page] I have yet to meet someone who does not like to hear a good story! When I was a little girl, my mother would tell me a story and I would often ask, 'when did it happen, when was this?' She would reply, 'oh, a long time ago...in the olden days...'. The olden days fascinated me, it seemed like a magical place where it was strangely different. Nowadays, I'm not sure how different it really is!
In the olden days, we sat around the fire and told stories. As the darkness fell and the night drew in, we told about the day that had passed, the people we had seen, the words that had been spoken, and the places we had visited. We told about other days, people and places. We understood the world and our place in it, through our stories. And then we told about our dreams and our memories; our passions and desires; we came alive through our stories!
Storytelling is an age-old tradition in all cultures and in many different settings; it took place around the fire, or over the washing of clothes in the river or by the well while watering the animals. Nowadays, it takes place on the bus, train, on the telephone, by email and during dinner parties, it takes place over the water-cooler or at the coffee station at the office. It is the way people have connected and shared their lives with each other since the beginning of time.
Throughout the generations, communities have passed down their stories from parent to child, preserving their history and culture, recording their experience, illustrating their values, creating continuity. We live in a world where there is a huge reliance on technology and where there is a vast amount of knowledge on every subject readily available to huge populations of people. In spite of this, or perhaps as a result of this, Storytelling as an art form is in the midst of a revival world-wide. People see to crave the simplicity and safety of traditional storytelling.
Story Coaching is a unique way to approach Life and Business Coaching through the understanding and use of traditional storytelling.
As we experience life, we 'tell' it - almost every event that happens to us, we pass on; as an anecdote or complaint, or amusing table-side story or told purposefully and with interpretation. And in the 'telling', in the narrative we choose, we define the experience. If we dare to look closely at the narrative, we can examine the stories we choose to tell. We can begin to understand how committed we can become to these stories. The stories that we tell help us identify our own strengths and areas for growth and learning. We can also start creating new stories. And the new stories can be better, much better. So that in choosing our own narrative in a mindful and positive way, we can create a better life.
Story Coaching is working with traditional storytelling in Coaching Practice. It is a compelling combination that is very powerful in business and personal life to motivate, inspire and achieve outstanding results.
