For tens of thousands of years before books and computers, we transmitted our essence and principles by story. Story linked to the past, organized the present, and illuminated the future. Story allowed us to connect with each other’s humanity in the paths crossed on the long journeys out of Africa to populate the rest of the world. Then the anatomy and physiology of our brains grew by putting thoughts and feelings into stories. Stories informed, instructed, inspired, governed, and organized.
Story is the most powerful way humans communicate. Stories give birth to possibility. Stories are a way that we resonate with our earlier selves, connect with others, and create a road map to proceed.
Our brains are wired to process information in narrative form. The narrative we construct navigates our lives.
Despite being natural storytellers, and our brains being wired for stories, some of us actually tell our stories to ourselves—to step out of our stories and figure out what they are about, how to amplify and edit. To figure out who is really writing the script. To understand why we have chosen certain roles. To reflect on the challenges that we face. To figure how we can turn circumstances into possibilities and strengths. To plan the next chapters.
People go to therapy when they are stuck on old stories and can’t figure out how to extract themselves. People come to Professional Coaches when they want to convert problems to possibilities, plan for bigger and more fulfilling future stories.
Frankly, there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard his or her story.
~Mr. Rogers
We each have the ability to write a new story. Whatever we think, feel, and experience is what we create each moment. And whatever you experience, you either create or accept.
By recognizing, owning, and assessing each component of our stories, we can decide what to change, map changes, and author new beliefs. We can even program the changes to transform our identities according to the new stories, to make them the default mode.
All good stories give a promise in the beginning. We invite the listener to join the campfire of the story. The implicit promise is that it will be worth our time. Once upon a time…
Author David Krueger, MD, is a Trainer/Mentor Coach and Dean of Curriculum at Coach Training Alliance. His latest book, The Secret Language of Money (McGraw Hill) is a Business Bestseller translated into 10 languages.
Check out New Life Story Coaches Training® – it provides the methods, workbook, assessment tools, guides, and self-quizzes which are licensed for use by you, the New Life Story Coach®. This unique and effective system blends the insights of psychology, dynamic neuroscience, and the principles of strategic coaching.