“Life is beautiful, right?”
—
If you think you don’t have a “story,” think again. Everyone has more than one story to tell.
|
Children, who will of course eventually become adults, were programmed early on at home. What they see, hear, and perceive will remain forever imprinted in their minds. The thing is, not everyone’s home is happy and joyous all the time. Many parents aren’t perfect individuals and some shouldn’t have had children in the first place.
◊♦◊
Psychologists have come to a consensus that most daughters marry men with their fathers’ traits and sons imitate their fathers’ behavior toward their mothers. The same also applies to sons; they’re likely treating their partners the same way their fathers do to their mothers.
Daughters of alcoholics are likely marrying alcoholic men. Sons of domestic abusers are likely to abuse their wives. This cycle should be broken for a society to be healthy.
When you connect the story with the readers/listeners’ real life experiences, it becomes real and valid.
|
And it must start with ourselves from a place of kindness and compassion. Whether you have children or not, whether you consider yourself “an activist” or not, we should do something. We can start small without burdening our hectic schedule and thin pocket.
Start with your own families, communities, and workplaces. Lead them with examples, which is more effective than preaching. Love thy family members and talk to them with respect, despite what you may have experienced in your own childhood.
As a single woman with a strong interest in activism, I find time to meet young women and start a conversation about domestic violence and human rights abuse. Using storytelling approach usually works well.
If you think you don’t have a “story,” think again. Everyone has more than one story to tell. Every incident can be “storified” to make it more compelling than merely describing.
◊♦◊
A good story starts with a simple premise. The whole story should flow naturally —simple. It must have an emotional component and sounds truthful. When you connect the story with the readers/listeners’ real life experiences, it becomes real and valid.
It must flow effortlessly like you were talking to a friend. The flow would make it sound truthful and real.
|
Now choose one period in your life that you’d like to “storify.” Define a simple premise, like this: Life is beautiful as long as you know how to reframe negativity into positivity. Next, choose an incident where you felt negative, but were able to turn it around into something positive.
The story must make the readers or listeners feel empathetic and emotional. Add anecdotes that support those feelings. It must flow effortlessly like you were talking to a friend. The flow would make it sound truthful and real.
When closing the story, include a conclusion referring to the premise. In the end, “life is beautiful, right?”
—
Photo: Getty Images