“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” ~Robert McKee

I opened with a quote that just inspires me so much…because I know what the world needs today are great ideas. Concepts that will change the way we do things as we move into the next decade, bravely facing the problems we have created with our “old way” of seeing and doing. Why not write it down, and post it in your office?! I have. And I look at it every day.

Way back in August of 2008, Scientific American published a cover article, The Secrets of Storytelling: Why We Love a Good Yarn. I think you should head over to your local library and request the article from their archive, because it’s well-worth reading! You can also access it online, for a fee, from the Scientific American website.

The secrets of storytelling, in brief, are these:

• Storytelling is a human universal, and common themes appear in tales throughout history and all over the the world.
• These characteristics of stories, and our natural affinity toward them, reveal clues about our evolutionary history and the roots of emotion and empathy in the mind.
• By studying narrative’s power to influence beliefs, researchers are discovering how we analyze information and accept new ideas.

Here’s another secret from a great storyteller: Ernest Hemingway. I love this too, and just have to share it - because it proves that stories don’t have to be long to be engaging. You see, he famously wrote a story in just six words: “For sale: Baby shoes, Never worn.”

Amazing! The power of words to create emotional responses in us never ceases to thrill me. When I’m up on the stage giving a presentation, I always look for the least number of engaging, insightful words - to keep my message clear.