Hopefully, in Part I, of this two-part series, you took away the first benefit of first time storytelling; which is, that it’s a powerful way for you to express and share who you are in a clear, concise, meaningful, and engaging fashion. However, that is not the only substantial benefit to first time storytelling. In fact, there are an additional four incredible advantages to becoming a first time storyteller.
Watch the Video on the Benefits of First Time Storytelling
Share. Connect. Grow Closer Together.
My path to becoming a storyteller was heavily tied to my desire to finally open up, share more about myself, and connect with people. It wasn’t natural for me to start opening-up, which is why I turned to storytelling because it made it so much easier. Once I did open up, I definitely experienced how significant, life-altering, and beneficial it was to connecting and growing closer to people.
On that note, it’s also that process that made me realize how superficial most conversations are in their nature.
I’m an introvert who isn’t interested in small talk. It’s for that reason, I’ve closely observed how a lot of what we call “conversations” and “interactions” are rooted in small talk.
When conducted in person, small talk can pass as an effective way to communicate and feel connected. Unfortunately, when you can no longer create the closeness through the physical bond (like during a pandemic) that connection must now be created through an emotional and intellectual bond. Now, these bonds are deeper in nature and also much more difficult for many to create because they require being open and vulnerable. Specifically, these conversations require more meaningful topics. Topics that people can have a tough time sharing or conveying in a meaningful and effective way.
Hence, the benefit of becoming a first time storyteller. You learn to create a repertoire of stories. You gain the ability to open up and be vulnerable through the telling of stories about a wide variety of topics and events. Ensure you are always prepared to have conversations that forge stronger connections with the people in your life and new people you meet.
Raise Your Self-Awareness
As I mentioned in Part I, we are the sum of our experiences and everything started with a first time. When you get into first time storytelling, you go back to revisit the events in your life that were key to you becoming who you are today. So yes, while this will be instrumental in helping others better get to know you. It will also be hugely beneficial in assisting you raise your self-awareness and know yourself better.
The foundational layer of personal development is self-awareness. Nothing is more critical to your growth and development than understanding and acknowledging who you are. This benefit of first time storytelling will serve you in so many ways.
If you want to be happy, at peace, and content in life, you must know who you are. Know what makes you happy, what brings you peace, and what offers you the greatest joy. And you must know the opposites, what brings you drama, pain, sadness, anger, and dissatisfaction in life. Revisiting the events of your life and your many experiences and how they impacted you will provide you with a lot of clarification about who you are and your life.
The storytelling process, as it raises your self-awareness, will allow for your conscious self to start acknowledging what’s happening in your subconscious. Therefore, discovering the things you have buried, ignored, and avoided. Some of those discoveries are going to be easier to deal with than others. But all of them, are essential to getting to know who you are. As well as, getting you to open up about what’s going on with you and your life. I guarantee, this is what will enhance and bring your stories to an entirely new level.
The More Your Know Yourself
The more you get to know yourself, the more you learn to tolerate, accept, and love yourself. Every time a story starts in one place but ends in another, you get to acknowledge, verbalize, and relive your journey. Ultimately, this allows you to be honest with your flaws, shortcomings, and weaknesses. Likewise, with everything that’s amazing about you. Don’t be afraid to unveil who you are to yourself. Once you do, and accept all that you are, it will become much easier to share it with others. And subsequently, extend others the same courtesy of acceptance.
You are the main character of your stories. It’s time you realize you are also the hero of your stories. I bet you have more qualities, and more to offer, than you think.
My hope is you’ll discover how much you love who you are through creating your repertoire of stories and come to better understand yourself.
Improve Your Well-Being
Ever had that experience of connecting with someone who really got you, the real you? Maybe it was the first time you didn’t feel alone in the world. Or perhaps, the first time you realized someone else felt and thought the same way you did or shared the same experience. Remember how amazing that felt?
Sharing stories of your first times and experiences with the people you love and care about is a beautiful way of connecting which in turn releases oxytocin. Oxytocin is often referred to, in simpler terms, as the love hormone, cuddle hormone, or bonding hormone. As these nicknames suggest, oxytocin plays an important part in human bonding.
We have a deep desire to matter, belong, and be remembered.
Sharing who you are, especially in a time of deep uncertainty, is crucial to you fueling your most basic need of being known, understood, heard, and, ultimately, remembered. Not to mention, it’s also a lot of fun when someone shares with you how they remember certain events in your life. Especially, how those events played a part in their lives. The joys, recognition, acknowledgment, and bond this can create totally improves our overall well-being.
Clearly, good and happy memories make us feel, well, good and happy. It’s always a positive thing to revisit your best memories. But even more so, when there is nothing in your current reality and present moment to be cheerful about. Reminiscing and recounting the fun, exciting, and meaningful first times and experiences from your life will lift your spirits and improve your mood.
The Additional Benefits of Remembering
As previously mentioned, reconnecting with your past experiences is an amazing way to remind yourself who you are, work through unresolved issues, find perspective, add meaning, and cope more maturely and efficiently with the present by better understanding who you are now and who you were.
Remembering the things that mattered to you in the past can lead to discovering new things to add to your present-day life.
Speaking of remembering. In the vast majority of your day-to-day routine, you mainly use your working memory to go about your life. However, in order to get access to your stored memories and exercise the retrieval of your memories. You’ll have to actively seek them out. Engaging in remembering first times and experiences of your life will create the need to recollect memories.
Participating in retrieving your memories is likely to improve your overall memory. As well as, the ability to more efficiently remember to do things in your daily routine. Even help you recall other pertinent information and better track current events.
It’s possible you might initially find this difficult, especially if you don’t often think about the past. Therefore, the help of pictures and mementos might go a long way in assisting you. So does asking other people in your life.
Archive Your Life
What do you wish you knew about your grandparents or parents? My mom passed away a few years ago. There’s so much about her life, and the experiences she had, that now I’ll never have a chance to know. We unfortunately often don’t think about these things until it’s too late.
This is an opportunity to archive your life for your loved ones, for future generations, and for yourself as well. You can run a thread through your entire life with first time stories. Let the benefits of first time storytelling positively impact you and others!
If I find myself getting Alzheimer’s later in life, or I start suffering from dementia, I’ll be able to relive/remember my life by listening to myself sharing stories of my life. I imagine this will mean a lot to me if I ever find myself needing it.
Think about it. The most precious things we have (besides our loved ones) in our later years are all of our experiences, memories, and stories.
It’s never been simpler than now to capture and archive our lives. Do it using the recording devices on our phones, whether it’s only voice or with video. The technology is straightforward, the challenge is telling worthwhile stories.
Are You Ready to Get Started?!?
The easiest way to get started to learn how to become a (first time) storyteller is to buy the book. The book covers all the components, requirements, and information you need. However, there will be no better deal than right now because when you purchase a ticket to the First Time Storytelling Virtual Summit you get the How to Become a (First Time) Storyteller ebook and course for FREE!!
We know that becoming a first time storyteller will positively impact your life in very big ways!!
