subject: Telling Your Story - A Powerful Coaching Tool [print this page] Telling Your Story - A Powerful Coaching Tool
A few nights ago I had the opportunity to spend some time with a few of my dear Storytelling colleagues, a wonderful group of inspired, talented people who share my passion to tell stories.We were discussing the transformation of the story as it moves from written form to the oral tale. What happens when we tell the story that we have just read? Or that someone has just told us? How does the story change?Part of the discussion reminded me of that game we used to play as kids 'chinese whispers' - where someone would whisper a message to someone else and it would be passed down the line. The end result was a completely distorted and usually very funny message.When I tell a story, I tell my story. Even if I'm telling the story of Little Red Riding Hood, it's my version. The way I remember it told to me as a child, or the book that I read later and then all kinds of other influences. In truth, the way I choose to tell a story will include my attitudes and my beliefs. My personality and my values all come through in the story.When I tell a story, I tell my story. I tell who I am, or at least, how I see myself. If I feel strong and positive, it's in my story. If I feel hurt or misjudged, it's in my story. If I feel like a success or a failure, it's in my story. If I feel victorious or like a victim, it's in my story.And yet, so often we are oblivious to the stories we tell. We all have people in our lives that tell the same stories again and again. You know the scene, you're sitting around the dinner table, the main course has just been served and Uncle Tom starts saying, 'it reminds me of when I travelled to Paris in 1974' and you know what's coming next. If fact you've heard the Paris story about 1974 times! Why is he stuck in his story? Why do we get stuck in our own stories, and especially the stories that really don't serve us too well?If we pause for a moment and think about how we tell our stories, and of course why we tell them, we can begin to tell more empowering stories, stories of fun and laughter, stories that lead us to a more positive experience of our own lives. It really is that simple. When we tell stories that are amusing and stories that are uplifting, we really can make our lives more fun and more joyful. When we tell stories of resilience and strength, we really do feel stronger.So let's make a wish, right now, that we will hear and tell good stories this week. That's right, turn off the television and computer, fold up the newspaper, take a walk in nature or look at something beautiful, listen to some good music and then go tell someone the story of that special moment. And when this works like magic, do it again tomorrow, and the day after! You'll be surprised how wonderful you feel!
