Day 26: The Power of Story Telling: Real World Applications

Long before movies, Netflix or even print media, there were stories. Stories draw out emotions and have the ability to bring people together by building a sense of community. They can be a creative expression to convey other universes and be the person we've always dreamed of, or they can serve to teach lessons and values to our listeners.

Human beings have been story telling since the beginning of time. Crowded around fireplaces, cave men and women brought to life heroes that step up despite massive odds to face an age old struggle. Within cultures, stories have lasted the passage of time to become folklores and legends. These tales share anecdotes for life in a digestible and memorable format. By masterfully weaving in characters, settings and relationships to make the abstract, concrete to the consumer, story tellers are capturing the human imagination and connecting with their audiences. Stories are arguably the basis for meaning and purpose for us meaning-making machines.

When done well, story telling in all its forms can enrich lives and inspire action. Despite this, many of us aren't consciously using this to our advantage. Using stories can help us to achieve our goals and communicate our inner most ideas better all while fostering a community. This sense of community can be particularly important in today's world where people are often isolated and disconnected from each other.

Stories have the power to shape the world, and you can learn to consciously harness their powers. These are why stories are so effective:

Builds emotional connection

Whether it's a heartwarming tale of triumph over adversity or a haunting story of loss and grief, stories have the power to evoke strong emotions and create a deeper connection between the audience and the storyteller.

The audience is able to empathise and identify with the tale through the story tellers lens. This goes in business or social settings as well. If you're talking about goals and increasing metrics and revenues, using personas and real life case studies can give your message and directive more purpose. Not to mention you will face less resistance.

Real world application: See how you can make connection with the listener through humanised characters or relatable circumstances. By seeing what your audience respond to, you are making your communications more purposeful and emotionally relevant.

Higher likelihood of remembering

By incorporating a structure and flow, stories can make arguments and ideas more accessible and memorable. For example, a story about the consequences of environmental destruction can raise awareness of the importance of conservation and sustainability, as opposed to listing out facts and statements. Master marketers or sales people use stories to communicate the impact of their product/service through a clear story.

Real world application: Try enclosing your messaging in a structured story arch so you are able to etch your message in the listeners minds. This story arch can serve you by ensuring you remain concise and clear in your messaging.

Motivates and teaches

A powerful aspect of storytelling is its ability to persuade and influence. Whether it's a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed or a story about the importance of friendship and loyalty, stories can present valuable lessons in a relatable and memorable way. By showcasing examples of positive behaviour, or the consequences of bad behaviour, stories can help to shape the way people think and act. Another bi-product of an effective story is, they can serve to reduce anxiety in your audience.

Real world application: Try showcasing achievements of others and outcomes of hard work and determination. If you're trying to educate someone allow the story to simplify complex concepts, ideas, and experiences by presenting them in a way that is easy to comprehend.

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From evoking emotions and inspiring action to teaching lessons and creating understanding, stories have the ability to connect with people, influence their thoughts and actions, and even shape the world we live in. So the next time you hear a story, whether it's a fairy tale or a news report, pay attention to the power it holds and consider thoughtfully how you can craft and tell your own story.