Why Stories Have The Power to Change The World | Ep 3

Stories have immense power to shape beliefs, inspire action, and create empathy in ways that facts alone cannot accomplish. Your personal narrative has the potential to create meaningful change, preserve cultural identity, and disrupt the status quo when shared authentically.

• Stories shape our beliefs and help us make sense of the world through narrative
• Research shows stories increase oxytocin in our brains, creating powerful connections
• Personal stories inspire others to take action and see issues from new perspectives
• Narratives preserve cultural identity and knowledge across generations
• The American "rags to riches" story has shaped national identity for millions
• Individual stories like those in the Me Too movement can create tidal waves of change
• Your story has the power to create a more empathetic and caring world
• Now is a critical time in history where stories matter more than ever.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Story's Power
• 2:04 How Stories Shape Beliefs
• 3:27 Stories Create Empathy
• 4:54 Stories Preserve Culture and Identity
• 7:13 Stories Disrupt Status Quo
• 8:59 Why Your Story Matters Now

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Story Lab. Today I'm going to talk about something I'm very passionate about and it's something that I want you to understand, because I often say that a story well told can change the world. And I know that stories can change the world because I've had the opportunity to do exactly that. I've shared my story, and those of you that have listened to that episode episode one understand that I know stories can change the world because I had the opportunity to do it. I did it and I want you to be able to do it, because stories are powerful. Stories create connection. Stories create passion and empathy, and they're the thing that we're built on as humans. They're how we understand the world, and I'm going to share some of the reasons why they have that power and some examples of what they've done in the past Some of my own, some of others, but stories. What I want you to get from this episode is that stories matter, that your story matters, that sharing your story can help people, can move people, can inspire people and can change the world. Your story, the one they remember, the truth that ignites the reason they stay. This is your time. You're brighter than ever. You've got something to say. What I want you to get from this episode is that stories matter, that your story matters, that sharing your story can help people, can move people, can inspire people and can change the world, because I know it can and I know your story can. So we're going to talk about some of the reasons that stories are so powerful, and we're going to start with the fact that stories shape beliefs. What we think about this world is based on the stories that we've heard, the stories that we understand. Humans were wired to make sense of everything through narrative. That's how our brain works. Facts alone are great, but they don't move people. Stories are what move people. They lodge themselves in our hearts, in our minds, and we feel something that is powerful, and that's what allows stories to inspire others. Stories inspire people. They inspire people to take action. I know this through my story, because I shared my story and it inspired others to look at the world in a different way, to look at what it would feel like to be somebody who had gone through what I went through, and inspired them to take action. It inspired them to say it is not okay for this hatred to exist. It inspired them to act upon those feelings and move things forward, because stories, they spark action, they spark revolutions.

Speaker 1: 3:27

Stories, even everyday things, can make a huge difference because people hear a story that makes them say enough is a fucking enough. A great story doesn't just inform people, it doesn't just shape their beliefs, it compels them to take action and see. That's where your story has the most power. You can inspire people. You can inspire people to take action and take that next step and help you make a difference in this world.

Speaker 1: 3:59

Stories are powerful, but stories can also be quiet, because stories can create empathy. They get people to see something from a different viewpoint. They hear about somebody's struggle or their triumph or heartbreak and you care because they're connecting to that person. You're more likely to help when you feel this empathy. And research literally shows that stories will increase the oxytocin in your brain, make us all feel connected and a story well told. You will be on the same wavelength as the storyteller. You will be in that moment with the storyteller. That is a powerful thing.

Speaker 1: 4:54

Stories also preserve culture and our knowledge. Stories, oral histories, folk tales, fairy tales, family lore, things that have been passed down for generations. That's our culture, that's our knowledge and that is told through stories. The story of my mother coming over from Cuba and my grandfather working a store and my grandmother working in the GM factory. Those are all stories that connect with me and make me who I am, because that is part of my identity.

Speaker 1: 5:41

And think of this how many rags to riches stories do we have in America? That narrative is our identity the people that pulled themselves up by their bootstraps to accomplish amazing things, the people that had nothing but they had the American dream. That American dream that took them from nothing to millionaires, that took them from nothing to having everything they could have ever imagined. Because of the American dream we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, because of a story that we're told over and over again. It is our identity. It's who we are as Americans. We are those rags to riches stories. We are the immigrants that came here hoping for a better life. That's our identity as Americans. That's a story, a story that has changed millions of people's lives. Because we believe that story, we live that story and every time we end up being successful, we perpetuate that story of who we are as Americans. That's powerful. Your story has that power, whether it's an American rags to riches story or a story of where you overcame something that you never thought you'd be facing.

Speaker 1: 7:13

Stories also disrupt the status quo. They change dominant narratives. Think of the Me Too movement. The Me Too movement was individual stories, personal stories that were told, stories of harassment and assault that cracked the overall view of what was happening. It changed the global conversation about power, about consent, about accountability. These were individual accounts that led to a tidal wave of change.

Speaker 1: 7:48

Stories are powerful and I tell this to clients and people and anybody I can tell this to, because I truly believe that everybody has a story that can change the world and I think that if we actually started to tell all of our stories, all of the things that we've overcome, all of the things that we've had to face, we would create a better world. We would shine the light on things that were being done wrong, we would motivate people into action, we would create a more empathetic population, a more caring generation, and one day we would look back at where we'd come from, where we are, and be proud of ourselves because we made a difference. We're at a time in history, right now, where stories matter more than anything, that people need to hear, stories that uplift them, that show that we can do positive things, that we can change the current experience into a better experience, that we all, as humans, have power to make a difference. And that is not something to just step over. That's not something to say I can't do this. Your story matters more now than it ever has.

Speaker 1: 9:24

I want you to share your story. I want you to get out there. I want you to change the world because your story has that power. My story has that power, everybody's story has that power, and you should share it. You'll inspire somebody. Somebody needs to hear your story today. And, yes, I'm passionate about storytelling because I learned what it can do. I'm passionate about storytelling because I want you to be proud of your story, to know that you made a difference and to know that you did everything you could to make this world a better place. So, get out there, share your story, make your story the one they remember, the truth that ignites the reason they stay. This is your time to brighten up the never. You've got something to say.