The Power of The Stories that Connect Us How stories build strong connections 2009 Jack Ricchiuto | from “The Stories that Connect Us” (2009 DesigningLife Books) One way of the most powerful ways of understanding who we are and who we become together is through the lens of our stories. It is more accurate to say we are our stories than we have our stories. Since the beginning of time, stories have been and continue to be the social DNA of our connections in every possible context. The sharing of our stories is at the root of all authentic trust. In whatever media we connect with each other, stories will always be at the core of how we create meaning from chaos together. As social media explodes the boundaries of our connective spaces, we seek quality connections in the new quantities of connections available to us. This will require that we begin to cultivate a richer narrative culture. Our connections will become quality connections to the extent that we master storycrafting, storytelling, and storylistening. Storycrafting is building our portfolio of stories that have the power to create and deepen connections of amusement, endearment, and engagement. We have to explicitly weave our stories from the threads of our experiences because they do not automatically self-organize from the raw facts of our life events. The richer our portfolios, the more ways we have to connect with people, and the more diverse people we can connect with. Storytelling is the art of telling our stories in ways that create for listeners a delicious sense of anticipation of the story's conclusion. Choosing our stories well is key to the quality of our connections because some stories have far more power to create quality connections than others, especially connections of endearment and engagement. Telling stories well gives people a rich sense of characters and contexts, complications, and conclusions that make the story live-able for listeners. Storylistening is giving storytellers the gift of attention and curiosity. The true test of good storylistening is that we become able to tell the story better than we originally heard it. These are the rich after-story conversations that add layers of interest, depth, and meaning to the story in the way spices make curry dishes amazing. The profound transformational power of storylistening is that, if we consider that we are our stories, when we listen to each other's stories, we literally listen each other into existence. Nothing is more powerful than our stories in shaping our world. A single story is more powerful than any amount of facts, rants, and statistics. Our stories shape who we are and who we become together. When we want to diversify and deepen our connections in our organizations and communities, between us and the people we love with, play with, and serve, our stories will become the media for the meaning and message of our connectivity. When we become more intentional and masterful at sharing our stories, our connections thrive, and our networks and communities make the impossible possible.

The Power of The Stories that Connect Us

How stories build strong connections

2009 Jack Ricchiuto | from “The Stories that Connect Us” (2009 DesigningLife Books)

One way of the most powerful ways of understanding who we are and who we become together is through the lens of our stories. It is more accurate to say we are our stories than we have our stories.

Since the beginning of time, stories have been and continue to be the social DNA of our connections in every possible context. The sharing of our stories is at the root of all authentic trust. In whatever media we connect with each other, stories will always be at the core of how we create meaning from chaos together.

As social media explodes the boundaries of our connective spaces, we seek quality connections in the new quantities of connections available to us.

This will require that we begin to cultivate a richer narrative culture. Our connections will become quality connections to the extent that we master storycrafting, storytelling, and storylistening.

Storycrafting is building our portfolio of stories that have the power to create and deepen connections of amusement, endearment, and engagement. We have to explicitly weave our stories from the threads of our experiences because they do not automatically self-organize from the raw facts of our life events. The richer our portfolios, the more ways we have to connect with people, and the more diverse people we can connect with.

Storytelling is the art of telling our stories in ways that create for listeners a delicious sense of anticipation of the story's conclusion. Choosing our stories well is key to the quality of our connections because some stories have far more power to create quality connections than others, especially connections of endearment and engagement. Telling stories well gives people a rich sense of characters and contexts, complications, and conclusions that make the story live-able for listeners.

Storylistening is giving storytellers the gift of attention and curiosity. The true test of good storylistening is that we become able to tell the story better than we originally heard it. These are the rich after-story conversations that add layers of interest, depth, and meaning to the story in the way spices make curry dishes amazing. The profound transformational power of storylistening is that, if we consider that we are our stories, when we listen to each other's stories, we literally listen each other into existence.

Nothing is more powerful than our stories in shaping our world. A single story is more powerful than any amount of facts, rants, and statistics. Our stories shape who we are and who we become together.

When we want to diversify and deepen our connections in our organizations and communities, between us and the people we love with, play with, and serve, our stories will become the media for the meaning and message of our connectivity.

When we become more intentional and masterful at sharing our stories, our connections thrive, and our networks and communities make the impossible possible.