Story Prompt Friday: What Is a Story & Why Should We Care?

Summary 

Getting very clear about the accuracy of our narrative helps us advance our personal and professional causes to connect, engage, influence.

Note  

What is a story? In its most basic form: “That was - Something happened - This is." Here’s more: "A story is content plus context."  Our human brains crave meaning. Without context you are left with a list of unrelated facts. Our human brains also create meaning. As a result, widely held but false narratives can become firmly embedded in people’s need to believe things.

Why should we care? Unless we are very clear about the stories we tell we might end up imprisoned by irresponsible narratives based on inaccurate memories. As we look around the world we are witness to “arsenals of memories.” 

I cannot say whose memories are accurate or not. All I can do is sift through the clues of my life, how I live, what I value, or what my experiences, hardships and achievements have taught me. I have to look closely at the archaeological remains of my life to begin to comprehend my story with compassion, insight and humor. Is it true? Or, do I owe my story another look? Am I curious about the accuracy of the narrative that I have been telling and the one that I could be telling? 

Story Prompt

What might it take for you to leave behind the habitual parroting of boring story lines to delve deep into the emotions, sensory images, and experiences of your story with compassion, insight and humor? Write that story! 

Story Prompt Friday: What Is a Story & Why Should We Care? written by Diane F. Wyzga in association with Beauty & the Beast Publishing. Photo: Nong on  Unsplash.