The Storyteller

Life, Money and Gratitude #56 The Storyteller

Have you ever had the pleasure of listening to a good storyteller? They draw you in, they make you laugh or cry or maybe both. They wave their hand and contort their face and you become a part of their story.

A wonderful skill to tell stories, a useful skill, something that you can acquire.

You say you don't have that ability, you do not have the gift of gab. Let me share with you two people known for their storytelling and jokes, they were not born that way, they learned it along the way.

Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.

Abraham Lincoln was famous for saying "that reminds me of a story" before telling one.

And where did these stories come from? Mostly from things that happened to him, he told of errors and mistakes that he made, he told of his triumphs, and interesting things that he came across along the way. Lincoln was also an avid reader (great place for stories) and would weave parables and quotes from famous people into his stories.

Ronald Reagan had a joke for every occasion. Where did they come from?

Well, before Reagan was in politics he was an actor and a traveling spokesman for General Electric (GE) and whenever he would hear a good joke he would jot it down and later copy it to an index card noting the location of where it was told. He accumulated filing cabinets full of index cards with jokes. And when he went anywhere all he had to do was pull out a card with the appropriate joke. He also kept a daily journal.

Here are some suggestions for you to become a better storyteller, and yes, it will take some effort but not much.

Anytime you see something that catches your attention, something that makes you happy or sad, good or bad take a note of it. What do I mean, pull out your smart phone take a picture, send yourself a text or email, or jot it down on paper or in an app. The next time you're scrolling on your device, scroll through your own pictures and notes and if by chance your with a group of people you too can say "that reminds me of a story".

Find a way to share your stories, this newsletter is one of my ways (a work in progress, hopefully I’ll get better over time.)

A couple of useful books that could help and one website of stories.

Writing to Learn by William Zinsser,

Mr. Zinsser not a fan of mathematics comes across a story written by a mathematician that simplifies and helps him understand math and wonders what other subjects stories could help explain.

Show Your Work!    by Austin Kleon

A little book on how to record and share your stories.

and 

100 Great Stories

Here are a bunch of short stories for your enjoyment.

https://americanliterature.com/100-great-short-stories/

Until next time, God Bless and be well.

M. Joseph Benric is the author of Graduation Gift , A Step-By-Step Guide to Financial Literacy for Young Adults

Be a positive influence in a young person's life, gift them a copy and help them on their journey to financial success.

The Storyteller