Last night was my monthly book club on Zoom (Beth’s Book Club 2021 please join us). We were discussing Simon Sinek‘s, Finding Your Why, which is essentially the hands on guide for his other book, Start With Why. If you haven’t given your “Why” some thought, I highly recommend this book. Part of finding your why begins with stories that impacted your life, so last night each of us shared a story, which made for such a warm and enriching end to our hour together.

Storytelling is a powerful tool that often creates a lasting impact. There is actually science behind why stories are so meaningful to us. When we hear a story that resonates with us, our levels of oxytocin increase—the “feel good” hormone. It boosts our feelings of things like trust, compassion, and empathy. Stories also have a unique ability to build connections, therefore they motivate us to work with others.

So last night I heard about Carole’s mean and unkind nun in grade school, Susan’s fun-loving and mischievous mom, Doug’s trip to Yankee Stadium, and the cruel sales lady who insinuated that I was fat when I was 12. We bonded over these stories. In their simplicity they were incredibly powerful. They tugged at my heartstrings. So where will you start using stories? With your family? How about at work? There’s a science behind storytelling that we shouldn’t be overlooking at work or at home. Let’s give it a go!

With Gratitude,

Beth

P.S. Our next book is The 4 Disciplines of Execution by McChesny, Covey, and Huling.