1. they are entertaining and can build rapport and connect with your target audience;
2. they can make it memorable and meaningful which will help in learning (assuming you are a good storyteller); and
3. they can help to bypass conscious resistance (sounds very technical leh!) – meaning, people will be less defensive and open to your sharing;
I use stories to communicate key messages in my work almost everyday. At home, I will try to spend time sharing a story with my girls before they go to bed on Friday nights. I use stories to impart values to my girls besides modelling the way. I find this extremely effective and fun. It’s my way of bonding with my two girls.
Both my girls enjoy my stories very much and sometimes when I am too tired to share my stories, they would remind me or drag me out of bed just to tell them a story before they go to sleep. I must confess that sometimes I do miss my Friday story night with them when I’m too tired mentally. Nevertheless, I strive to share my stories with my two princesses at least once a week.
Below is a story I shared with my girls two weeks back. I hope you will enjoy this story and the key lessons as well. If you want some inspiration for stories, please checkout my stories section in my blog or click on the link below.
HELP TO CRY
The little girl was late coming home. Her mother had sent her to the shop to buy something. She should have been back half an hour ago.
The door opened and in came the girl. Her mother asked, “Where have you been? You should have been back 30 minutes ago.”
“Sorry, mother,” she said.
“As I was coming back, I saw Lucy next door. She was crying. Her doll had fallen, and was broken. So I stopped to help her.”
Her mother was very puzzled. How could her little girl help Lucy with a broken doll?
“What did you do to help her?”
“I sat down next to her, and cried with her,” the little girl said.
We can learn at least three things from this story.
First, when someone is late or did not get a job done, don’t simply start shouting and scolding and showing your anger. Ask him for the reason. Give him a chance to explain. Ask questions. Things may not be what you imagine. Don’t jump to conclusions. Be willing to understand.
Second, always be willing to help someone else in whatever way you can. It will give you a new dose of happiness. Happiness is something you can give to someone else, and at the same time you still have it after you give it away.
The third point is the most important of all. We can always help. It is not a matter of money. It is not a matter of skills. It is a matter of willingness. It is our attitude towards other people. It is a matter of the heart, not just of the mind. Think of the little girl. Did she help Lucy? In fact she did not do anything to repair the doll. The doll was still broken. But she did something much more valuable. She showed her friend she really cared. When her friend was sad, she was sad also. So she helped her friend by helping her to cry.
The little girl was late coming home. Her mother had sent her to the shop to buy something. She should have been back half an hour ago.
The door opened and in came the girl. Her mother asked, “Where have you been? You should have been back 30 minutes ago.”
“Sorry, mother,” she said.
“As I was coming back, I saw Lucy next door. She was crying. Her doll had fallen, and was broken. So I stopped to help her.”
Her mother was very puzzled. How could her little girl help Lucy with a broken doll?
“What did you do to help her?”
“I sat down next to her, and cried with her,” the little girl said.
We can learn at least three things from this story.
First, when someone is late or did not get a job done, don’t simply start shouting and scolding and showing your anger. Ask him for the reason. Give him a chance to explain. Ask questions. Things may not be what you imagine. Don’t jump to conclusions. Be willing to understand.
Second, always be willing to help someone else in whatever way you can. It will give you a new dose of happiness. Happiness is something you can give to someone else, and at the same time you still have it after you give it away.
The third point is the most important of all. We can always help. It is not a matter of money. It is not a matter of skills. It is a matter of willingness. It is our attitude towards other people. It is a matter of the heart, not just of the mind. Think of the little girl. Did she help Lucy? In fact she did not do anything to repair the doll. The doll was still broken. But she did something much more valuable. She showed her friend she really cared. When her friend was sad, she was sad also. So she helped her friend by helping her to cry.
Key Message:
Show that you care for your parents, your children, your friends, your office colleagues. Help them solve their problems if you can. But if you can’t do anything to solve their problems, show that you care about the conditions they are in.
If people are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, be sad with them. People call this showing empathy for others. “Empathy” is too big a word. Keep it simple. Show others you care for them. Help them in whatever way you can, even if it is no more than joining them in their weeping and crying.
Story source: http://www.challenge.gov.sg/magazines/archive/a_line/200409.html
