Stories That Inspire vs. Sedate

My young son asked my wife, Shelley, a few years ago for a bedtime story. About what she asked? About a horse, he said. As the story she told him developed, it became autobiographical about our roller coaster experience as foster parents. He wanted her to re-tell it every night, and my own lame stories couldn't compete. When I did get my turn, he fell asleep before I could even get going.

A recent HBR article explains why my wife's emotional stories beat my boring fact-based stories every time. "Character-driven stories with emotional content result in a better understanding of the key points a speaker wishes to make and enable better recall of these points weeks later. In terms of making an impact, this blows the standard PowerPoint presentation to bits." Leaders who can craft a compelling narrative with a dramatic arc and sympathetic characters will inspire instead of putting their followers to sleep.

Shelley's story does just that. Eventually, she turned it into a manuscript and finally published it last week. It’s already on three Amazon bestseller lists! "Jumper is a little colt's heart-wrenching journey from fear and loss to healing and hope. This book tenderly portrays the complexities of addiction, separation from birth parents, trauma, and healing."

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XSWC2QP/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_YS92J3MR25W3ZZ79NPB4