Storytelling, a core career and life strength, is the art and science of influencing others through skillful communication and personal brand; not just telling great stories, but being a great story. And everyone loves a great story. Why Storytelling? Stories are part of what makes us human, and we’ve been telling and […]
Tonight I had a mind blowing epiphany about storytelling in relation to learning and mindfulness. Those are my “Big 3,” and for years I’ve emphasized mindfulness as the foundation that supports the other two. And tonight, on the way to the kitchen for a snack, I realized that storytelling—consuming and creating stories—was and is the […]
July 6, 2021 More than 400 Americans died in 150 gun shootings across the long holiday weekend. Is that the America we want to continue to celebrate and defend? July 2, 2021 The second half of the year has started. I’m moving into a new phase of research for the nonfiction book I’ve been developing […]
Personal Mission: Best Person I Can Be. Best Work I Can Offer. Personal Vision: Decrease suffering and increase happiness for myself and others. Personal Values: Loving-kindness, compassion, gratitude, sympathetic joy, equanimity, curiosity, and creativity. Personal Strategies & Systems: Ongoing, intersecting, daily practices of mindfulness, health, learning, and vocation. Obstacles With Which I Sometimes Grapple: Shame, […]
As I’ve continued to grow and learn, as I’ve thrived and stumbled through various experiences and seasons of life, I’ve noticed that three practices in particular are the most powerful, transformative, and relevant for meaningful living and careers, in the face of both possibilities and threats. Mindfulness is the practice of giving full attention to […]
By Alexandra DeMarco, Guest Writer Storytelling has been an essential part of my life for as long as I can remember. With two journalists for parents, writing and reading were always emphasized as essential. As a child, storytelling manifested itself in my life in many different forms; I wrote songs, poems and short stories throughout […]
“I walked out of speech class at the beginning of my own speech,” I said, “and when I returned a minute later, my hair was dripping wet and I was carrying a paper bag with a hairdryer, a brush, and Paul Mitchell super-clean sculpting gel.” The audience waited for more. I was participating in the […]
“It was a full 10 seconds before I realized how loud I’d been talking, and that everyone within 50 yards was staring at me,” Baris, 55, said into the microphone, looking sheepishly at the gathering of familiar faces in the cafe–including Liliana, a 28-year-old brand strategist, who was nodding her head while laughing. It was […]
“Mrs. Carlson is a good person,” Zhang Li said as the 41-year-old attorney stood before the judge. “She’s taking responsibility for her own healing. And having quality time with her children is part of that healing process.” The Hon. Maria Santos, in her late 50s with cropped, silver hair, studied Zhang Li for a moment […]
Stories shape us, stick with us, and often inform–even subconsciously–the decisions we make. Stories we tell ourselves about our strengths, good character, and possibilities shape our orientation toward the day’s work and interpersonal communications. Stories about “how much we suck”…well, they have their own way of shaping things.