Is the story you tell Truth, or Fiction?  Those who hear it can swiftly tell the difference.  If you’re sitting around a camp fire, a tall tale can be appropriate and mesmerizing. In most of life’s situations, however, the story you tell should be true and your listeners must be able to tell the difference.

Over time, our life experiences create a collection of stories that we can draw upon in different situations.  The ability to accurately retrieve them and weave them into today’s narrative is an acquired skill. I’ve found that people tend to remember stories that are used to illustrate situations better than a recitation of mere facts or lessons learned along the way.

If you’re selling a product or service, true stories of how you’ve helped others in similar situations resonate.  When you’re working on the service side of the equation, stories can help to create connection and build trust.  Where you are placed in situations for meeting new people, stories quickly reveal the areas you may have in common.

As our world speeds up, stories offer a way to momentarily slow it down.  Emails are useful for confirming outcomes of conversations and conveying facts, but make poor vessels for story-telling.  Text messages are bits and pieces of our life stream and the opposite of story-telling.  Letters or well-written articles get closer to the mark, if thoughtfully written, but nothing comes even close to telling your story in person and hearing theirs face-to-face.

Stories are a uniquely human means for connecting and conveying information in a relevant way. They aren’t genetic reactions or learned responses. True stories provide context for life. And when they include a dose of humor, they become fun and particularly memorable. 

I generally prefer reading non-fiction books; my favorites convey information about famous lives and historical events through stories that resonate. Discovering how situations converge and how lives evolve fascinates me.  When I occasionally pick up a work of fiction for a diversion, the works that I enjoy the most are rooted in real events; fiction can offer a different perspective on reality, but mustn’t be confused with it.

It’s worth taking the time to pause and reflect on your unique story.  What is it?  And how will you tell it when opportunity arises?

Tempus Maximize!