When I was 17 years old, I spoke to a class of more than 80 students.

I was on the podium with an opportunity to convey anything I wanted. Everyone’s eyes were on me. I felt nervous and in command at the same time. As I spoke, I thought I was giving an inspiring speech. What happened in hindsight was nothing but an outburst of words that probably bored people to death.

I Felt That I Could Have Done Better

I realised that I could have made it interesting. It was after that session I realised that you can make an impact without being a pompous ass 😵.

I’m grateful for that situation. It made me realise that there are skills we need. These aren’t taught to us, but we’ll do pretty well if we have them.

Ever wondered why some people are so interesting to listen to? They can tell a story pretty well. So well you won’t even realise it’s a story. That’s when I realised the importance of story telling.

I Believe We’re Full Of Stories But We’re Occupied In Life And Pay No Attention

We’re always on autopilot - work, breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner. We don’t stop to look back on our day/ days. Most people can’t even remember what they had for breakfast.

I believe that people should spend 5-10 minutes a day recalling one incident that happened and write it down. Here’s 3 ways to do it:

1. Recall One Event Of The Day

Recall different events of your day and pick one.

This doesn’t have to be complex. It can be as simple as a conversation at lunch.

“I was talking to ____ today. He was telling me about his plans to learn Tennis and that got me thinking. Should I learn Tennis too? It IS something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now”

There’s your event of the day. Simple recollection.

2. Write About The Event

Once you recall an event, write about it. This isn’t the same as journaling. When you isolate the event, you get into the specifics. That’s where you get creative and go fully into the event. It might seem tricky at first but the rewards are immense.

By doing this, you increase your retention and observation skills.

3. Share These Stories

If you think no one cares, you’re wrong.

Your reality is someone else’s fiction - R.C. Waldun

We love fiction. By sharing our stories, we allow someone visit a fragment of our reality. Unless you sound like a self-obsessed braggart you should be fine.