Become a Story-Listener

Listening to other's stories is important to finding your own purpose.

Any of you who know me personally know that I am a storyteller.

Apart from being a husband, father, son, and friend, it’s probably what I think of as my primary identity.

I’ve had an admittedly bonkers career path, but everything I have done is related to storytelling in one way or another. I never feel more true to myself than when I am telling a story to a group of people who care to listen.

I say all of that because I’ve spent most of my adult life telling people that nothing is more important than storytelling.

But there is something more important: Story-listening.

This is prompted by the comment below on one of my TikTok videos yesterday:

I am not evolved enough yet to say that it is impossible to hurt my feelings or anger me with a comment online, but I assure you this didn’t bother me in the slightest when I first read it. It actually made me chuckle.

But then it stayed with me the rest of the day.

Not because it somehow offended me but because it made me suddenly nervous.

For us all.

If we really all get to this point, we are done for.

If we get so consumed with ourselves and our media, and our jobs, and our own goals that we have no time to hear someone’s story, we will never get better.

It’s a death sentence.

If we don’t take time to be curious and patient with others, we will never actually find our true selves.

Magic happens when we take the time to listen to another’s story.

I would dare say it’s a holy experience.

So, on this Monday, you have homework.

I’m totally serious.

Find someone in your life — it can be someone you know or a complete stranger — and ask them if they will tell you their story.

Then, curiously listen.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Don’t bring it back to your own story unless they ask. Just listen. I am enough of a mystic to believe that the person you choose to ask will give you an answer to something you’ve been looking for.

Then, share the experience with us!

Tell us how it went either in the comment section here or over in the Facebook Group.