The Power of telling your story
Studies show that we are wired to remember stories much more than data, facts, and figures. However, when data and story are used together, people are moved both emotionally and intellectually. Harnessing the power of stories will enable you to be more persuasive, move people to action, and progress in life.
A new neuroscience study may explain why telling stories builds empathy and also why, when you tell a good one, people act as if they're watching it unfold before them.
A team of scientists at Princeton, led by Uri Hasson, had a woman tell a story while in an MRI scanner. Functional MRI scans detect brain activity by monitoring blood flow; when a brain region is active it needs more blood to provide oxygen and nutrients. The active regions light up on a computer screen. They recorded her story on a computer and monitored her brain activity as she spoke.
After the volunteers heard the story, it was easy to map that they had understood the story and their brain patterns synchronised with the story teller. This experiment brings us to the fact that when you tell a story you can transfer your experience directly to the brains of the people who are listenning to it. It also concludes that the people witness to your story develop greater empathy and understanding with you.
Telling your story and being witnessed with the attention of others who care—may be the most powerful medicine on earth. Each of us is a constantly unfolding story of which we are the hero, a hero in a novel that no one else in the world can write. And yet so many of us leave our stories untold, our songs unsung—and when this happens, we wind up feeling lonely, listless, out of touch with our life’s purpose, troubled with a sense that something is out of kilter. We may even wind up feeling unworthy, unloved, or sick.
Dr Lissa Rankin writes “Every time you tell your story and someone else who cares bears witness to it, you turn off the body’s stress responses, flipping off toxic stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine and flipping on relaxation responses that release healing hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, nitric oxide, and endorphins. Not only does this turn on the body’s innate self-repair mechanisms and function as preventative medicine—or treatment if you’re sick. It also relaxes your nervous system and helps heal your mind of depression, anxiety, fear, anger, and feelings of disconnection.”
When we tell our stories, the notion that we are disconnected beings suffering alone dissolves. When others hear our stories they are automatically inspired to share their own story – their own journey. This brings forth evidence that we are not alone that there are numerous others around us that are living, struggling, winning and celebrating just like ourselves. This brings about a strong sense of connectedness that connects our inner selves to the universe.
Data suggests that women are most inspired when they hear about the stories of other women. Your story does not have to be made of the stuff that dreams are made of. Its important to realise that our stories are strong and inspirational just as they are. I remember growing up on stories, then wether they were stories with a moral or someones biographies, they never failed to inspire me. Some of the darkest moments of my life have shone when a friend or someone who cared, shared their own story with me to instill the hope in me to carry on. Each of us have those memories.
In order to benefit fully however, from the healing medicine of telling your story, you must resist holding anything back. Its important that you strip off your masks, be unapologetically yourself, shed off the pretences and without worrying about what “everybody” is going to think. Otherwise, your story becomes diluted and not your own.
As Brené Brown teaches in The Power Of Vulnerability, “the gateway to intimacy is via being vulnerable about your imperfections. If you try to sugar coat your story, you miss out on the sense of connection with another human being that you can only attain when you’re letting someone see your warts and your big ugly tail. Every time you expose those imperfections—and someone loves you in spite of—even because of—those imperfections, you gain trust (or as Brené calls it, you “put marbles in the jar”). Over time, the intimacy you feel with other people depends on how many marbles are in your jar.”
I am woman invites each one of its readers to share your stories with us. Lets celebrate your journey and inspire you further while inspiring others.
Write to us on iamwoman@xtra.co.nz or connect with us on facebook at www.facebook.com/womanunlimited
Studies show that we are wired to remember stories much more than data, facts, and figures. However, when data and story are used together, people are moved both emotionally and intellectually. Harnessing the power of stories will enable you to be more persuasive, move people to action, and...
Studies show that we are wired to remember stories much more than data, facts, and figures. However, when data and story are used together, people are moved both emotionally and intellectually. Harnessing the power of stories will enable you to be more persuasive, move people to action, and progress in life.
A new neuroscience study may explain why telling stories builds empathy and also why, when you tell a good one, people act as if they're watching it unfold before them.
A team of scientists at Princeton, led by Uri Hasson, had a woman tell a story while in an MRI scanner. Functional MRI scans detect brain activity by monitoring blood flow; when a brain region is active it needs more blood to provide oxygen and nutrients. The active regions light up on a computer screen. They recorded her story on a computer and monitored her brain activity as she spoke.
After the volunteers heard the story, it was easy to map that they had understood the story and their brain patterns synchronised with the story teller. This experiment brings us to the fact that when you tell a story you can transfer your experience directly to the brains of the people who are listenning to it. It also concludes that the people witness to your story develop greater empathy and understanding with you.
Telling your story and being witnessed with the attention of others who care—may be the most powerful medicine on earth. Each of us is a constantly unfolding story of which we are the hero, a hero in a novel that no one else in the world can write. And yet so many of us leave our stories untold, our songs unsung—and when this happens, we wind up feeling lonely, listless, out of touch with our life’s purpose, troubled with a sense that something is out of kilter. We may even wind up feeling unworthy, unloved, or sick.
Dr Lissa Rankin writes “Every time you tell your story and someone else who cares bears witness to it, you turn off the body’s stress responses, flipping off toxic stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine and flipping on relaxation responses that release healing hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, nitric oxide, and endorphins. Not only does this turn on the body’s innate self-repair mechanisms and function as preventative medicine—or treatment if you’re sick. It also relaxes your nervous system and helps heal your mind of depression, anxiety, fear, anger, and feelings of disconnection.”
When we tell our stories, the notion that we are disconnected beings suffering alone dissolves. When others hear our stories they are automatically inspired to share their own story – their own journey. This brings forth evidence that we are not alone that there are numerous others around us that are living, struggling, winning and celebrating just like ourselves. This brings about a strong sense of connectedness that connects our inner selves to the universe.
Data suggests that women are most inspired when they hear about the stories of other women. Your story does not have to be made of the stuff that dreams are made of. Its important to realise that our stories are strong and inspirational just as they are. I remember growing up on stories, then wether they were stories with a moral or someones biographies, they never failed to inspire me. Some of the darkest moments of my life have shone when a friend or someone who cared, shared their own story with me to instill the hope in me to carry on. Each of us have those memories.
In order to benefit fully however, from the healing medicine of telling your story, you must resist holding anything back. Its important that you strip off your masks, be unapologetically yourself, shed off the pretences and without worrying about what “everybody” is going to think. Otherwise, your story becomes diluted and not your own.
As Brené Brown teaches in The Power Of Vulnerability, “the gateway to intimacy is via being vulnerable about your imperfections. If you try to sugar coat your story, you miss out on the sense of connection with another human being that you can only attain when you’re letting someone see your warts and your big ugly tail. Every time you expose those imperfections—and someone loves you in spite of—even because of—those imperfections, you gain trust (or as Brené calls it, you “put marbles in the jar”). Over time, the intimacy you feel with other people depends on how many marbles are in your jar.”
I am woman invites each one of its readers to share your stories with us. Lets celebrate your journey and inspire you further while inspiring others.
Write to us on iamwoman@xtra.co.nz or connect with us on facebook at www.facebook.com/womanunlimited
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