S4 Ep. 235 The Power of Storytelling

Speaker 1: ah, yes, I'm back into that space, welcome. I have to say this before I start there's something unique I want to do today. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good everything. Whatever you are listening watching. Yes, welcome to the World Cafe Live Show. You're wondering why I'm being theatrical. Right, I'll tell you why. Because I have something unique to share with you today Storytelling. You know, before I came in, walking into the studio, planning, you know, for this, it's like how do I communicate it? How do I pass it across? I'm not whispering, am I? Well, you've heard me say this before and I'm going to start with that. The earth is a narrated entity and we all see through the lens of our biases. A narration is a story or a kind of story, and when narratives are being woven, they come with this element of storytelling. You see images fly, you know use of words, elements of grammar and those who are listening. It's like there's this picture being created. That's the power of storytelling. My daughter will always tell me Daddy, tell me a story. I say, but I've told you so many. And she will say tell me a game . So, no matter how complex a subject matter is when you bring it into the frame of storytelling, even the dumbest of minds will understand, will appreciate it. That's the power of storytelling. So you know, it always begins like this Story story. And you ask yourself why do we have to begin with story story like an emphasis. But, like I said, the power of imagery comes into play. Man is a spirit that dwells in a body and he has a soul. So the soul appreciates image so well, the body, sensations and what have you? The spirit? Would you call it sensitivity, insight, perception. So you say story story. It's like you are waking the image, the imagination. Okay, once upon a time, once upon a time, once upon a time. It's like somebody standing upon, standing on. So it's like there's an incision on time and we travel to that time and we try to like, become. And my daughter always tell me daddy tell me again. So it's like storytelling helps us to form an idea. Storytelling helps us to like, imagine the future. Okay, I have something to read for you. So in our nursery rhymes, our songs and what have you, things are communicated to us. They're the agency of storytelling. If you take a set of children born within a certain period, timeline let's say investigate, inquire, interview you would be amazed that their responses will be 99.9 the same, because they listened to the same kind of story. Now, listen, I won't tell you, but you will know when I start. Old Roger is dead and gone to his grave. Hmm Ha, gone to his grave. Ha, gone to his grave. They planted an apple tree over his head. Ha, over his head. The apples grew ripe and ready to drop, go ahead. Ah, ready to drop. There came a high wind and blew them all off. Ah, blew them all off. There came an old woman to pick them all up. Mmm ha, pick them all up. Old Roger got up and gave her a knock. Mmm ha gave her a knock which made the old woman go hippity-hop, hmm Ha. So I tried to make an analysis of this. I tried. Now listen, old Roger was a man of curious temper and few words, known in the village for his stubbornness and love of apples. Are you listening? Even in his final moment, he seemed more concerned with his orchard than anything else, and so, when he passed, the villagers, honoring his quiet obsession, planted an apple tree over his grave. Perhaps they thought the fruit would bring sweetness where his grumbles had once sounded. The season turned and the tree flourished, bearing rosy apples ripening under the sun's gentle watch. One day, a wind as mischievous as old Roger himself swept through the branches, loosening the apples, sending them down, tumbling to the ground. You get the image. An old woman from the village, very weary from her day, happened upon this bounty. She gathered up her apron and bent to collect the apples, mothering about pies and jams she would make in memory of Roger's groging jam. But from beneath the ground, old Roger, still fiercely protective of his apples even in the afterlife, stared. He couldn't bear to see his apples spirited away. So he rose from his grave with a gruff hum, reached out his hand and gave her a went hippity hopping spirit murmuring one last satisfied Hum Ha. Now you see the imagery being created. Yes, for those of us who grew up, maybe in the early, would I say 60s, 70s, 80s you've heard that story. Tell me if it did not form an idea, an image in your mind of scare and how the afterlife still comes, how you know. You have this man or woman they talk about in the village, a very strong and powerful man, maybe mystically or whatever, that even in death, when they're talking about him or her, shh he may be listening. The power of storytelling, yes, some of us we grew up watching those adverts that created gave us this mental imagery of satisfaction, joy and all of that. And growing up we grew with that what I call it, not obsession, but desire and anticipation that it will become , that it will become. So it drives our narrative, our pursuit, our success should I say journey, because of a story we heard growing up that was told Some of us. The fear that locks around us as a result of the story we were told, like old Roger ghost that locks around us. It's as if it's off. The story we were told Like old Roger Ghost, he was buried. The wind, who knows, old Roger might be the one in the wind. The power of storytelling, that is what it is. Sometimes it's not true, but the mind wants to believe it and that is how a lot of us are being controlled. That is how a lot of society, things that happen. We don't question it because stories were told Like a community who, what I say, values, norms, were built out of the collective experience of that society. Maybe they were hunters and maybe they were, you know, seagoing people and they come tell us a story, how you know, in the forest, things they saw. These stories have been with us , so they are like. They capture the essence of the collective and we are bound by it. Nobody questions it. That's the power of storytelling, and we just ride along. But do you know what? We can retell our story. Yes, we can. We can take up that story of pain, take up that story that was told us yesteryears and say, no, I have to change the narrative. Some people say why? Because you have the power. The earth is a narrated entity, so I want to rewrite it, I want to retell it, I want to unlearn and relearn. Once upon a time, this is my time and I have to bend it to my wheel, if I have to say that. So you remember, during the COVID years 2020, there was this saying follow the science. Was the science really true? Was the science really correct, proven? But when the audacious and courageous stood up to challenge it, we did Vaccination. A lot of us did not accept it. Social distancing Words began to jump out of nothing and began to fashion and mold our way of thinking. You go to places and all that. So, all of a sudden, nobody talks about social distancing anymore. Nobody talks about so the story has been broken, challenged, challenged. So let me tell you this Even in corporate setting, stories are told. Yeah, most organizations, the power they have over us, the stories behind their creation. Like you hear, coca-cola has a secret formula, is it true? But it was a story. That was told us and we all believe it. When you pick up a bottle of Coke, or Coca-Cola, as you want to call it, and you're gulping it, you're just like, ah, the secret formula. Who told you that there was a secret formula? It was a story, it was woven and we all believe it. Yes, so let me tell you one A Coca-Cola advert. I am not doing any publicity for Coca-Cola, but I'm only telling you the power of storytelling. This Coca-Cola advert. The scene opens. This is the story. Now listen, the scene opens. Two friends, the story. Now listen, the scene opens. Two friends, teenagers or little children, a bottle of Coke. One had it and Yoda was asking him what do you have? He said Coca-Cola and he started drinking it and Yoda was trying to ask him what does it feel like, what's the experience and all that? And his friend whispered it's like kissing a girl and it's like his imagination just kissing a girl, coca-cola, kissing a girl, you see, and all of a sudden, it's a generational theme. That's the story. And boom, they ran off with it. Is a generational theme, that's the story. And vroom, they ran off with it . So some not some, most organizations very powerful they weave that story into the fabric of the society and you see us like a tree responding to the strength of the wind. You go the direction the wind is blowing, ah, mm-hmm. So this is what I came to do today. Do you want to create a position of a chief storyteller in your life, in your family, in your home, in your organization? Humans love story. That is why part of what we do is called history. We love it when stories are told. We just want to stay on and listen. When stories are brought to the fore fore, we want to be part of it, because the story always have the villain and what, uh, what do you call it now? The champion, and we always want to be on the side, like I'm the champion of this story, not the villain. So, guys, we can tell our story , not a villain. So, guys, we can tell our story . Yeah, craft it With your own words, your experience, authenticity, genuinely, you own it and you run with it. I hope this inspires. I hope this inspires. I hope this has resonated with you as it has with me. That's what I came to do on the show today. So imagine yourself in that situation your eyes closed, darkness everywhere, and it feels like how do I get out of this situation? How do I lift myself? Look for your story, tell your story. Tell your story. The window, the door out of it is your story, my, yes, your story. Your story, not necessarily the story of the collective. The story of the collective might not be true, might not be correct, even if it is politically accepted, might not be the truth. So sometimes you have to move against the gray, your story. You're moving against the society accepted narrative that you are now creating yours. It requires a lot of energy, but you know what A rolling stone got us no more. All right, guys, I need to run now. So create a story. He said, nobody will listen. That's not true. People are waiting to hear your story. I assure you that they are waiting to hear your story and it will inspire a lot to also stand up from that depressed position and move. All right, then, I need to run now. This is what I came to do on the show. This is the space where we come in to lean on one another's experience to forge a positive path. That is what the word cafe is all about. The power of words, the unit of creation. That is what it is. All. Right, then, don't forget to follow us on all our social media outlets Facebook what else ? X? Instagram we have a YouTube channel. Have you subscribed? Please go ahead and subscribe, hit that notification button so that when episodes like this drop, you'll be the first to catch the story. Yes, we are also there on Spotify. We are there. We're everywhere telling our story. Ah, story story once upon a time. Till I come your way again, my name is Amakri Amakri Sobe. Bye for now.