Storytelling For Personal Health and Making a Better World

I think that storytelling makes us human, because the expression of personal narratives provides relief for the storyteller and forms bonds with the audience. I think that storytelling could be used as a tool to develop a more empathetic, connected, and enjoyable world. i think learning to share our stories will develop better communities and tighter social bonds that will help us to overcome our differences and learn to be more understanding and compassionate. I also think that storytelling will help us to be able to convey the significance of research and news more effectively, so that we can convince ourselves and others to take more action. I started to learn some of the art of storytelling during my struggles with depression and anxiety, and I found that, for me, sharing my stories helped me to cope. To help me further develop my storytelling abilities, I am starting to read Storyworthy.

Homework for Life | Matthew Dicks | TEDxBerkshires



From the video description:
"Homework for Life" is a strategy that I originally began using to generate more story topics for the stage, but as I began to use the strategy daily, it changed my life. It made everything about my life so much more vivid and slowed my life down remarkably. It's a strategy I teach to my storytelling classes often, and I've had people tell me that it has replaced therapy and meditation for them. It truly changes lives. Powerful."

The magical science of storytelling | David JP Phillips | TEDxStockholm



From the video description:
"Why is Storytelling so powerful? And how do we use it to our advantage? Presentations expert David JP Phillips shares key neurological findings on storytelling and with the help of his own stories, induces in us the release of four neurotransmitters of his choice. Learn more in this 2nd TEDxStockholm talk of David's."

How the story transforms the teller | Donald Davis | TEDxCharlottesville



From the video description:
"Donald Davis was born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories.  "I didn't learn stories, I just absorbed them," he says as he recounts tales and more tales learned from a family of traditional storytellers who have lived on the same Western North Carolina land since 1781. Davis remembers, "I discovered that in a story I could safely dream any dream, go anywhere I pleased, fight any foe, live or die.  My stories created a safe experimental learning place."

How words change minds: The science of storytelling | Nat Kendall-Taylor | TEDxMidAtlanticSalon



From the video description:
"Sometimes a good idea isn't enough to drive social change; more important is how you communicate that idea. This is where "issue framing" comes in. In his talk, Nat Kendall-Taylor, PhD, breaks down the science of framing for philanthropy and nonprofit communications. He explores how people think about social issues and how advocates, experts, and strategic communications professionals can use an understanding of culture, storytelling, and science to communicate about social and scientific issues, shape policy, and lead change."

My Questions
How does sharing stories about yourself make you feel?
How does sharing your personal stories affect others?
How can storytelling be used to develop a better world and effect change?

Fascinating stuff! Looking forward to engaging with your audience!

My late grandma was a storyteller who even had a local radio program many years ago, reading and telling stories, and playing tapes of other professional storytellers.  I have memories of many favorite stories;  after reading your post it makes me think I should be sharing them with my own son.  I did tell him one once, a very scary Halloween story that we kids all loved called "Black Bubblegum" but it creeped him out so much (he was 7 at the time) he couldn't sleep that night;  a good testament to my storytelling skills?  It's about a boy who loves gum but meets his match when a piece given to him at Halloween keeps sneaking back into his mouth to be chewed, no matter how many times he spits it out :)

But those stories my grandma told were such a wonderful way of connecting, not only with her, but with the others listening.  I know my siblings and cousins all have their favorites and remember the magic of listening to them.

That's quite the story. Stephen King stuff.

I write novels, so I deal in fiction quite a bit, but the storytelling in Storyworthy is nonfiction. Personal storytelling. But that can be terrifying, too!

Matthew Dicks wrote:That's quite the story. Stephen King stuff.

I write novels, so I deal in fiction quite a bit, but the storytelling in Storyworthy is nonfiction. Personal storytelling. But that can be terrifying, too!

Have you written about storylistening Matthew?

I think people would story tell more if they were listened to in the right way! Personal story telling comes rather naturally when we are in need of inner support. But accompanying the story - because I meant more than just listen - needs a certain ability and knowledge.

The most frequent result of personal story sharing is :
- to receive advises that give more helplessness (when you answer "I know but I cannot because ...")  

- to receive material help that might help but bypass the physiological/emotional need to process the inner feelings.  

- or to be received with an empathy that puts the listener in a bad mood - which motivates less and less to listen to needy persons - even when they are you friends!
It results in the sad advise - a common one - to stay away from so called "negative people". They are the ones who need the most to tell their story so that they can integrate their emotions. It is perfectly possible to listen to difficult stories without absorbing the emotion, as long as we know how to. The best is to know how to help, and how to make the person process the sad stuff until the deepest feeling of connection can emerge, like the sun from the clouds!

Then, the feeling of shared connection will largely compensate for the time you have spent with this friend. And your connection will be better, and with a guarantee of return. (well, we have culturally lost so much about how to do it safely that there is a big need there!)