“Stories bring us from one reality to another.” ~ Trinda Latherow
Since early childhood, I’ve loved the power of stories!
Through the years, stories have
inspired my imagination and empowered me to grow. They’ve challenged me
to step beyond current circumstances and reminded me to dream big —
really big.
During my formative years, I yearned
for wisdom, leadership, adventure and personal vision. When unable to
find them in my daily experience, I learned that stories provided some
answers. One of my fondest early memories includes sitting beside my Aunt Marie Rizzo. She was a gem at creating stories in the moment, designing great word pictures that fueled my imagination and my smile.
At age 8, I discovered a classroom library full of biographies and those books became my unexpected, private treasure. I entered
into the lives of world changers and famous people from every
background. Reading through the pages of their private lives, I traveled through
time, discovered different cultures, expanded my understanding and
developed new ways to see the world.
In each story, I joined the main
character, growing up amid their challenges, stumbling through their
failures, enduring their personal dramas and finally overcoming
circumstances in marvelous — and often unexpected — ways. Through
story-based narratives, I learned how others surmounted odds, turned
their losses into gain and brought their dreams to reality. These
stories remind me today of the power of the human spirit.
At their best, good stories point to
the greatness in us all and move us toward a happier future. They propel
us to become innovators, inventors, creative artists, business leaders,
statesmen and cultural change-makers. Individually and collectively,
stories point us toward a more prosperous, harmonious and successful
human race while reminding us to play our part in the process.
As an author, blogger, podcaster, public speaker and media personality, I capitalize on the power of stories.
Rather than relying on statistics,
information and lists of precepts, I use reflective questions and
personal anecdotes to bring people back to their soul.
In doing so, I challenge rigid and thwarting beliefs while inspiring listeners to
energize their dreams and potential.
The Power of Stories
Here are some of the reasons why I believe stories are so potent:
- They point to our inner truth, something our soul already knows and privately acknowledges.
- They remind us of our larger, grander and more authentic self.
- They empower us to forge forward – even when circumstances and outward conditioning compel us to give up.
Over the years, I have learned that
good stories contain the common threads of our human experience. While
listening to someone else’s story, we see ourselves in it, too. We
inject the details of our own life into these tales, revisiting our
personal beliefs and reconsidering our thought processes.
Unlike being told what to do or what
to think, or being served a list of external commands that promise
success, stories inspire us from within. They carry the magic of inward
possibilities that are waiting for manifestation.
Emerging from a good story, we find fresh thoughts that galvanize us with renewed confidence, resolve and expectation.
May you find stories that speak powerfully to you.
Find a book, read a blog, listen to a
podcast or watch a great movie. And as you do, may you find the perfect story
that inspires and empowers you in life, too!
Maura is an International Speaker on Influence, Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
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