Your words are stories, your silence is a story too.
At whichever point/phase of your life you’re living right now, you always have countless stories to tell. Stop and pause for a while, and simply reflect on the journey of life you have covered so far. I’m sure, if you give it a thought, you’re certainly going to have some visual images of long left events, people, places, and probably your younger self.
Someone asked me to recite them a story, and despite that person living in a far-off continent, I decided to share one from my box of endless stories (even though I haven’t really met this person ever). I believe it is the stories that we share with other people that brings us close to them, igniting the spirit of compassion, oneness, empathy, and love.
My thoughts echo with what Joseph Campbell said:
“People say that what we are seeking is a meaning of life. I don’t think this is what we’re really seeking. I think what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.”
I believe that this experience of being alive is amplified by the stories that revolve around our lives.
So, if I tell you a story
Will you pass it on?
Narrating it from spring to winter
And sharing it from dusk till dawn?
Storytelling makes us feel enchanted and captivated. Read below how stories are an integral part of our one-time living!
Stories help find ourselves and understand others
We human beings have a huge genre of stories to share — action, romance, mystery, inspirational, fantasy, science, fiction, etc. These stories are central to our existence. They are central to human cognition and communication.
Storytelling is more than just recitation of words, carefully carved together. Somewhere in the depth of the storylines, we find ourselves hidden beneath, we see our reflection in them.
Stories inspire us and trigger our minds to shape diverse perspectives. Listening to stories of other people instils empathy in our hearts. We hear a lot of stories about people we have never met or never spoken with, but hearing their experiences, their stories, and their exceptionally unique lives, evokes a rush of emotions within us that make us more compassionate towards one another.
Therefore, storytelling is one of the powerful means to not just teach, influence others and inspire others, but also to find ourselves, who we truly are.
Storytelling is full of creativity
Storytelling is simply translated as creativity, where aesthetics are still valued in the constantly shaping material world. Stories are immanently human, and they defy the pressure to see and measure life in terms of productivity.
As Sue Monk Kidd says, “Stories are to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” Perhaps this makes so much sense. We pass on our stories to our next generations so that history gets its meaning, and lessons are learned for the future. If such is the case, then stories become a sustainable way to keep life meaningful, despite the passing of time. This takes me back to Joan Didion’s words, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”
Stories push us to imagine, remember and recollect who we are
Stories matter. The sweet lullaby recited by our parents when we were kids or the ancient historical tales told to us by our grandparents, the stories written by our favourite authors or stories narrated by our friends and family on long weekends, and the endless stories shared with our loved ones, all direct us towards the importance of stories in our lives and amplify the reasons why stories matter. These stories become a part of who we are, or I believe that they are more than part —a whole. They keep becoming stronger and stronger as they pass from one generation to another.
Times change, but that is what the function of time is— to change. This fast-paced world is nothing, but an illusion of time running like slipping sand from our hands. New times bring new changes. Stories have taken new forms. Now, we have an ample amount of podcasts and audiobooks that anyone can listen to while walking, exercising, working, etc. Stories are the same, just forms are different. Stories still enrich our lives and serve as a guide book to our living. I’m sure they will continue to do so, forever.
I’ll end this blog with Fyodor Dostoevsky’s words― “But how could you live and have no story to tell?”
There is a story everywhere. Discover those that inspire you!
Thank you for reading! Please SUBSCRIBE and share the blog in your circles.
