Why am I doing this? It’s because sometimes a little kindness makes the world a better place. And I believe when you tell your story, you can help do that too.
Face your fear of speaking in public by learning how storytelling works, how you can apply it and using my simple steps to build your confidence and inspire your audience.
Love or hate it, sport is full of stories. Epic tales of overcoming adversity; the struggle to defy the odds; the winner-takes-all, last-moment victory. Excuse me if I got a bit gladiatorial.
Maybe you’re not into sport, or there’s stuff about professional sport that puts you off. I find it both fascinating and infuriating.
We forget that sports “stars” are people We’re very quick to laud exceptional athletes with status, praise and money. Perhaps that then puts exceptions on them to be something better than us.
People have great stories Have a read of this story about a guy who has made a surprise leap to the highest level of his chosen sport (Rugby).
Darryl Marfo in training with Edinburgh Rugby (source: scrum magazine)
The BBCs Tom English often writes a good narrative, but the real star of the piece is Darryl Marfo. The authenticity of his story – not hiding his moments of doubt, regret or reliance on others.
You see, people – characters, their history, challenges and destiny – are the key to compelling story. We like to know how it ends.
Call to action? I’m left wanting to speak to the guy and hear more. Which is exactly what a good story should do. And then I think there’s hundreds of stories like this all around us every day. So maybe I just need to ask the person next to me what their story is.
For now, I suggest the article is worth a read to see both how Tom articulates it and how Darryl’s personality seems to come through. Good writing inspires action.
It may be because I think too much, but I’ve been doing a little reflection on what my motivations are.
Wrestling with concerns like making sure I’m “doing the right thing” has been a struggle for me for a long time. So I think motivations are a fascinating area to explore. And knowing that human hearts can be deceiving, motivations can be quite hard to truly understand. Continue reading “Clearing up the motives”
Lives are complicated. Flawed yet beautiful at times. The layers of nuance and interdependence can be mystifying. I get lost trying to work out what’s going on sometimes. I’ve been thinking about this as I tell the story of what I’m doing. And where I might be heading. Continue reading “Utterly convinced that sometimes I know nothing”
A year ago today, a man with a heart as big as the sea breathed his last. His body was laid to rest a few days later but his impact lives on. Continue reading “Get busy living”
