In 2019, The New York Times reported that scientists are confirming the power of narrative stories to give meaning to our lives. Our “life stories” tell us who we are and why we’re here, and as The Times reported:
“Every American may be working on a screenplay, but we are also continually updating a treatment of our own life—and the way in which we visualize each scene not only shapes how we think about ourselves, but how we behave, new studies find. By better understanding how life stories are built, this work suggests, people may be able to alter their own narrative, in small and perhaps large ways.”
This report is heavy stuff, but it confirms that telling the stories of our lives helps make us who we are. That’s why I’ve always advocated for storytelling—and you don’t have to be in what’s normally considered a “creative” area to do it.
If you’re in business, share your personal story through your presentations and reports. If you’re a pastor, tell more personal stories in the pulpit. If you’re a filmmaker, understand the power of dramatic structure.
At any moment, when someone asks, “Tell me about yourself,” you need to be ready because someone out there needs to hear your story.
Because stories connect with people in a way nothing else can.
This article originally appeared on PhilCooke.com and is reposted here by permission.
