Storytelling is magical and healing. We all have more than one story inside of us. It seems as if our soul is the gatekeeper of what story is meant to be shared. The gatekeeper then somehow knows what people to bring together to hear the story. There seems to be some sort of alchemy between the elements of the story, the audience and the teller. When taking Personal Storytelling, I found this alchemy to be fascinating. On several occasions the tellers of the evening happened to tell a story revolving around a certain theme. No one decided that everyone would focus on a specific theme, but the magic happened to bring out what the listeners and the teller needed the most on that night.
Something else that was interesting was how those who listened to the stories could often relate to what was being shared. For me this was a way of viewing storytelling as a universal language. Even though what was being shared in a telling could have taken place years ago in a different place and time, it could be very present in someone else’s reality now. Stories are powerful and sacred. What makes them so valuable is that they come from the inner depths of our being. I recall a TED Talk with Donald Davis. Mr. Davis mentioned how his grandmother encouraged his father to tell his story from different perspectives. The wisdom of his grandmother showed Mr. Davis how telling the story changes us. This is a way how healing takes place within ourselves. If we told each other more stories, we could change our perspectives on so many different ideas that we may be stuck in. Telling each other stories may just help us have more empathy for each other.
Stories are sacred. When a teller is sharing a story with us, they are giving us a gift, something that is precious and is part of their inner being. The teller has entrusted us with the gift of their story. It is up to us to honor the gift to help the story come alive. It is as if the listener, through listening, nurtures the story in communion with the teller. If someone tells you a story, listen. Listening is as important as telling. With storytelling, one cannot exist without the other. Both must be present in order to keep the story alive.
(The image comes from an Instagram post by hermesthealchemist. He describes it as, “This heart symbolizes the “heart stone”, one of the deepest mysteries of the inner alchemical journey.”)
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