The Power of Telling Your Story

Stories have played a significant role in shaping who we are as human beings. They are written so that they can be shared with others. However, most people are reluctant to tell their stories. The thought of sharing our own story can indeed be terrifying – it can force us to examine closely who we are, where are, and how we got here. What we don't realize is that our stories are powerful and they can shape, influence, and change the lives of others.

We never know who needs to hear our story. Our story can serve as a beacon of hope for someone else, letting them know they're not alone and that things can still turn out well. And by sharing our story with others, we offer them the confidence to do the same. Together we can make a much bigger impact in the world too.

Share your story; it's your gift. Believe i it then you will fully understand its power.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

Learn how you can use storytelling skills to make a global impact
Discover 3 ways to enhance your storytelling and harness the power of your story
Understand how your audience's engagement is vital for a win-win outcome

Resources

The Influence Alliance — A business-building community for changemakers who want to build a sustainable and scalable business they love.
The Influence Alliance Free Podcast Series
Are you struggling to be known as a trusted authority in your industry? Schedule a chat with Annemarie at help@annemariecross.com.
Connect with Bridget : Website | Twitter | LinkedIn |EMail | Instagram

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WATCH NOW (and check out the Resources and Episode Highlights below):

Episode Highlights

[1:53] The Power of Your Story

A single story can have a global impact. Imagine how a single story can affect us personally depending on how we share it, how we choose to share it, what energy we use, and what truth we tell.
Be courageous in sharing your story. In your vulnerability, there is great power.
Share your lows so that your highs are truly spectacular. Share your experiences and how they shaped your beliefs, values, and your current guiding principles.

[5:06] Storytelling Skills That We Should Be Aware Of

Make sure to use language that everyone can comprehend. Think of your intended audience and use a language that would truly understand and at the same time spark their fire.
Be mindful of your story's rises and falls. Make sure that you don't dwell on the low all the time. Give your reader something to look forward to.
Begin to rise but don't completely rise just yet. You fail, but then rise again to show readers how the skill sets acquired along the way can be translated into something greater.
Don't neglect the rise. It's important that we share it because readers and businesspeople are naturally seeking the bigger victory. Constantly emphasize the rise while addressing problems or pain. We're always looking for a way to win.

[10:21] Vitalizing Your Storytelling

Believe your story. Believe in your ability to make a difference. Believe in yourself because if you don't, you won't put it on paper as if you do, and you'll probably never finish your book and won't take advantage of the opportunity. If you doubt yourself, you may sabotage yourself on stages or other platforms.
Share your narrative clearly after believing it and owning it so that others can experience the same sense of power. Use your very best language and be specific as possible.
Celebrate others and their stories. Bridget discovered that authors typically fall into one of two categories. They either compare themselves to other authors, entrepreneurs, and people or they celebrate.
By celebrating others' successes and stories, and utilizing those for a greater impact, you will become a great influencer through your story, your power of words, and also your ability to make that ripple.
We often find that when we collaborate and support one another, the conversations others are having are complementary to ours. It can validate some of our messages and vice versa. But, it can also serve as a springboard from which we can develop our platform's message further.

[15:54] Why You Should Not Get Fixated On The Numbers

We often want to have a large impact. Focus and don't worry if you are currently just reaching a small group; you may be able to support someone who will then spread their influence to other people. And by working together, we can have a much greater impact on the world. We can't do it alone.
We all want people to enjoy the books or plays we write. And so we try to please everyone. You'll have all these voices that you're speaking to instead of one. But Bridget has found doing so can muddy our message.
An intimate message and relationship with one person as your avatar has great power because all other voices become silent. You can be the most genuine, vulnerable, and clear with that one.

[24:38] Your Legacy

You have great responsibility with the power of your pen. Write with the intention of conveying not only the profound lessons, the truth, and the authenticity, but also the larger vision of what is possible.
In order for a true impact to be made, the first step is to tell the truth. effect. Second, exhibit tremendous vulnerability and bravery. Third, you need to have a clear idea of where you want to lead the reader.
Because books are timeless, it is crucial to consider both the big picture and the long term. What would you like your children to know? What about your children's children's children? Write it with foresight. Not just a costly business card, but also a credibility and legacy builder. The one with a legacy principle at its core leave incredible footprints for others to follow.
It is all about the legacy that you want to leave. Figure out what it is that you want to say. Figure out what you learned the most. And then rewrite because that is where the magic happens. When you go back to serve your avatar and rewrite and rewrite, then you'll have an extraordinary book with a far greater impact.

10 Powerful Quotes

[3:34] “I would say there is great power in your vulnerability, and it is a scary thing. You're filleting yourself like a fish – out on paper for everyone to see you in your guts and your glory.”

[4:52] ” I don't like stories that are little unicorns and rainbows at the very end when you don't understand what a person has been through or lived through, how they came to have the ideals, the morals, the values, the principles that they carry. And so in the vulnerability, in your darkness, lie the seeds of your greatest glory.”

[8:45] “Don't neglect your rise. Really important that by speaking on a stage or writing in a book or putting your blog together, you address pain, you address issues. Always, always address the rise because inherently readers, and entrepreneurs, we are looking for the bigger win. We're always looking for the win, and so it's important for you to share it.”

[11:59] “Everyone has an extraordinary story. It's in learning how to tell it, and so believe it.”

[17:07] “There is great power in an intimate message and relationship with one person as your avatar because all the other voices go away. You can be the most authentic, vulnerable, and clear to that one.”

[21:53] “If your bottom line is to serve, I have seen how that opens doors upon doors upon doors for people. That's where I've seen the most miracles happen. You get that one person in mind. You choose to serve 'em and watch those miracles unfold. It's extraordinary.”

[23:47] “There is hope. There is always hope. I think hope is one of the most important things ever because from there we can find a way to move forward.”

[24:57] “When we're working on a story that has to do with ourselves and the people that we are surrounded with, life for entrepreneurs is all about relationships, there are ways to write that help to heal and to create greater clarity and um, greater power. And there are also ways to write to destroy.”

[26:14] “When we write something in a book, people think it must be true. It's in a book. So number one, there is a great responsibility. You have a great responsibility with the power of your pen, and so how could you write in such a way that the deep lessons are there, the truth and the authenticity are there, but also that this greater vision for what is possible is there.”

[30:22] “I always say, write the first time for you. for you to figure out what it is that you have to say, for you to figure out what you learned most and greatest. And then the magic is in the rewrite. When you go back to serve your avatar and you rewrite and you rewrite, all of a sudden you have an extraordinary book with so much greater impact. Cuz it is, it's about the legacy.”

About Bridget

Clients call her “The Book Whisperer”. Bridget is a NYT & WSJ bestselling author, mentor, humanitarian, and speaker known for riveting, transformational stories, showcased on Oprah, Dateline, CNN, GMA, NPR and in People among others. As Founder of Your Inspired Story, she helps others discover the power of their own story.

You can connect with Bridget thru her Website | Twitter | LinkedIn |EMail | Instagram

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