Storytelling at Work
May 07, 2019
No More Stories to Tell

longing9.jpg

Let's assume for the moment that you are intrigued by the notion of telling your stories. Fantastic. Great. Wonderful. So...you... begin... thinking about the memorable moments of truth in your life and start writing them down -- at least the titles, that is. The more titles you write, the more stories come to mind -- stories from your childhood, first love, travels, relationships, work, quest for meaning, accidents, victories, near death experiences, strange lights in the sky, and so on and so forth.

Let's say you top out at 359. But let's take it one step further. Let's say you actually WRITE your stories down. But not only write them -- you TELL them, also, until every story of yours has been told.

You could, of course, choose to tell your stories, AGAIN, to other people in other ways. You could, of course, choose to turn your stories into screenplays, novels, songs, sitcoms, i-phone apps, or webinars. But you don't. You feel complete, every story in you having been told.

So there you are with no more need tell a story (not even the story of why you are no longer telling stories). Like a small puddle evaporating after a thunderstorm, your need to tell your stories has completely disappeared.

Your friends, accustomed to your story telling, express their disappointment, but you say nothing. You say nothing because you have nothing to say. You have no point to make, no wisdom to impart, nothing to elucidate.

The words you would normally use to populate your tales seem to have gone south for the winter, vacationing, as they are, somewhere on a remote island, cocktail party chit chat for the night.

Though you are fully awake and can see many things happening around you, you have no need to connect the dots, no need for a plot, characters, conflict, or a resolution.

Everything is what it is. You are what you are, breathing, wanting nothing, needing nothing, enjoying the time before the first story has been told. You think of telling THAT story, but don't. You let it go. Like the milkweed floating by.

Excerpted from this book

Not excerpted from this book
This guy wrote both of them

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at May 7, 2019 03:28 PM

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ABOUT THE BLOG

Storytelling at Work is a blog about the power of personal storytelling – why it matters and what you can do to more effectively communicate your stories – on or off the job. Inspired by the book of the same name, the blog features "moment of truth" stories by the author, Mitch Ditkoff, plus inspired rants, quotes, and guest submissions by readers.

Order the book:

Storytelling for the Revolution
Storytelling for the Revolution is Mitch Ditkoff's newly published book about the power of personal storytelling to elevate the conversation on planet Earth. Provocative. Evocative. And fun. YOU have stories to tell. This book will help you tell them.
Storytelling at Work
"The world is not made of atoms," wrote the poet, Muriel Rukeyser. "It's made of stories." Learn how to discover, honor, and unpack the stories of yours that show up "on the job" in Mitch Ditkoff's award-winning 2015 book, Storytelling at Work.
FAQ
Do you want to know more about the book before buying it? Click here for Mitch's response to frequently asked questions about Storytelling at Work – the perfect book for people who think they have no time to read.
The Workshop
Storytelling is an "unconscious competency" – an ability we all have that all too often remains inaccessible to us. Enter the Storytelling at Work workshop – a simple way to activate this powerful, innate skill.
Wisdom Circles
Want to establish a culture of storytelling in your organization or community? Looking for a simple way to help people to share their meaningful, memorable stories with each other? Here's how.
Podcasts & Videos
Click here to view and listen to a series of interviews with the author of this blog. Go beyond the written word. Listen. Feel. Elevate the conversation. Understand what the big deal is about personal storytelling.
Blogs 'R Us
If you like this blog, you might also like Mitch's other two blogs: The Heart of Innovation and The Heart of the Matter. Mitch is also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.
Idea Champions
When Mitch isn't writing, he's captaining the good ship Idea Champions, a leading edge innovation consulting and training company based in Woodstock, NY. What their clients say.
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