Storytelling Myth (#4 of #5) – ‘You Need To Have Led An Amazing Life’
Do you agree that…..
You have to have lived an amazing life to be a great storyteller?
I certainly used to think so.
Because in the early days of my storytelling journey (10 or so years ago), that’s all I came across.
The only keynotes I saw were from people who had genuinely lived extraordinary lives.
Here’s a snap from an event I attended back in 2017…
The people I saw share their incredible stories on stage included:
- Anna Mears (Australian Olympic cycling legend)
- Chantelle Baxter (One Girl charity co-founder)
- Dr Dianne McGrath (NASA Top 100 to settle on Mars)
- Corporal Ben Roberts Smith (War veteran)
So my assumption went as follows:
“In order to tell stories worth sharing, you had to have lived an extraordinary life”.
The problem here was that I hadn’t led an extra-ordinary life.
I hadn’t won Olympic gold, I hadn’t co-founded a successful charity and I hadn’t been in the running to join NASA on a settlement on Mars.
I was in my opinion, just an ordinary run-of-the-mill person off the street.
So I worried there wasn’t a place for me as a storyteller.
But over time I realised I was SO wrong.
Because I started noticing that stories were everywhere. Being told by the average person, going about their average day.
Here’s what I mean:
> Entrepreneurs starting their newsletters with a short everyday story.
> My connections turning everyday interactions into a social media post.
> Friends turning their weekend shenanigans into an entertaining story.
> Companies turning their client feedback into a case study type story.
> Guests on podcasts sharing a relevant story to bring a point to life.
Stories were everywhere.
But more importantly, it was about everyday people, with everyday interactions.
So what I realised was this.
Yes, it’s easy to be a great storyteller when you’ve done something cool (like hiked for weeks through the Amazon and lived to tell the tale).
But………. it’s ALSO possible to be a great storyteller if:
>>> You can turn an everyday interaction into a story.
That ability to notice when you’ve had an interesting moment. A telling interaction with someone. A funny chain of events. When you’ve just learnt something the hard way.
If you can notice those moments and connect the dots to how it would be useful to someone else, you can absolutely become a great storyteller.
IN SUMMARY
If you’ve ever worried that you just weren’t cut out for being a great storyteller, because you hadn’t lived a very exciting life…..
Don’t worry! Because it’s not a pre-requisite.
It’s much more important that you know how to turn anything into a story.
That is what makes you a great storyteller.
That will help you to ensure you always have a new story to share.
So go live out your life with the knowledge that you can absolutely turn it into interesting lessons for other people. Whether that life is extraordinary or not! 🤸
Cheers,
Emily
Note: This Newsletter is one in a series of 5, covering the biggest misconceptions people have about storytelling. This is myth #4.
- A story needs to be extraordinary
- People don’t want to hear your story
- You need a long time to tell a story
- You need to have lived an amazing life
- You have to have a really good memory
I’ll cover the final misconception before the end of the year.
Hey, I’m Emily Edgeley, a Public Speaking Coach for the Tech industry.
Since 2017 I’ve transformed the lives of thousands, by helping them to communicate with more power. I’ve run 300+ group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and helped more than 100+ others give their first ever Conf talk.
I’m on a mission to help anyone in Tech communicate with more clarity, impact and confidence. To boost their brand, career and influence.
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