Getting into the Storytelling Business

You might wonder how you can get into the storytelling business but the truth is that you’re already deeply embedded in it. Whatever you do, whoever you are, you tell stories. You tell stories to yourself (some call this thinking) and anyone who’ll listen. These stories not only describe your reality, they do a whole lot to manifest it.

It’s the story you tell, the way you tell it, who you tell it to and the way you make them feel about the story that has everything to do with your your values, your character and experience of life. Is the story working for you?

Stories create a sense of “who you are”, your “importance” and position of power in some imaginary hierarchy. Stories also give you an insight of who other people are. You know when someone is talking about themselves? Well, what they’re trying to do right in that moment of storytelling is to make themselves up as they go along while getting feedback from you. Do you look like you’re believing what’s been told? And what do they talk about? The brands they associate with and the brands they hate. The amazing places they’ve been. The things they’ve done. The people they know. The education and the “stuff” they have. The books they’ve read “Do you know Derride?””Have you read Michel Foucault’s critique on Crypto-normativity?” and their relationships “As my winemaker said to me the other day”.

Stories work much like a computer operating system, an anti-virus / anti-malware and firewall all rolled into one. A well constructed story can keep out the pointless, demotivating and fear engendering stories (aka malware, spyware and viruses).

You aren’t only what you eat; you are the stories you tell, the stories you expose yourself to and the stories you think.

Storytelling is by far the biggest business in the world. Everyone’s into it but it’s only the savvy few, the less-than-a-fraction-of-one -percent that know it. Think about how stories work for you and on you. You’re exposed to hundreds of stories every day of your life. They can literally change your mood and the way you feel within moments. They can get you to believe in something, create a sense of hope, go out and buy something and even make you angry and hateful towards people you’ve never met.

So, given the idea that you’re already in the business of storytelling, commit to being a GREAT storyteller. Becoming aware that it’s all about telling stories is a great place to start.

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