One way to uncover your story… ⁰

This past Saturday I gave an introductory public speaking workshop at a local yoga studio (Yoga District at I Street). It was a small, but fun, group of women. The focus of the workshop was learning how to uncover and tell your story – whatever it is that helps make you who you are. Here’s how I had them think about what to say:

Close your eyes. Think about something you’re really grateful for in your life. It might be a person. It might be an event. It might be a particular state of being or success you’ve achieved. It might be a skill you’ve attained. But make sure it’s something that you feel grateful for.

Think about what happened, leading up to that thing or event or quality, which made this so important. Had you been searching for something? Did you have a breakthrough in a relationship? Were you on any kind of a journey?

Did you have any kind of transformation along the way? Where did you start out? Where are you now? Does this path have further to go, or has this journey taken a new road?

Visualize the people and places involved. Think about your emotions along the way.

Your story can be serious, poignant, funny, include acting, singing, dancing – whatever is true to you.

Then I gave them this simple formula for telling a story. This is actually the  prototype for every great story that’s been told for thousands of years. (Think about fairy tales, classic literature, ancient legends – they all follow this pattern!)

Beginning – old status quo
The challenge that showed up
How you faced that challenge (the journey)
What you discovered
Where you are now (doesn’t have to be finished or solved)

Try this method of uncovering your story, and see what you come up with. I’d love to read your comments!