Tips to Try
The Gift of Storytelling
told by John Walsh
Once upon a time, my wife and I had two dogs. These dogs felt like they owned the house, and my wife and I were their servants.
According to science, it is believed that both dogs had a nose that was 300 times more sensitive than mine. Their sense of smell far outperformed anything that I could ever imagine. Yet, when they were alone, they often compared noses. They rated their smelling abilities according to each other. They would never compare their abilities with such low creatures as their two servants, who have flat teeth and no sense of smell at all.
No, they would only compare their noses with each other. One dog would say to the other, “Compared to my nose, you can’t smell anything.”
The other dog put her tail between her back legs, dropped her head in shame, and let her ears hang down around her face. She said, “You’re right. I just can’t smell anything. You’re so talented and blessed to be able to “sniff” the way you do. I could never be like you.”
Meanwhile, I stood nearby listening to this conversation. (We storytellers can hear such things.) I stood there in amazement at the gift God had given each of them. Both of our dogs were able to view the whole world through their noses. Even the dog with the inferior nose had a fantastic ability.
In exactly the same way, God has given every human the gift of storytelling. Most people don’t realize how much they tell stories. We tell stories (or listen to stories) from the time we wake up until we go back to bed. It is the way we communicate with each other. It is how we view the world around us. Our mind even tells us stories when we’re sleeping.
Yet when we compare ourselves with someone else, we say, “Oh I wish I could tell stories like that person. She is so talented and blessed.” Yes, it is true, that person is gifted, but no more than you. Some people develop their gifts more than others, but the skills and abilities are there in everyone, waiting to be developed.
Here is a fact to ponder this Christmas season. God gave you a gift – the gift of storytelling. Don’t pull back from it by comparing it with someone else’s gift. Remember, no one is as good at your type of storytelling as you are. Each of us has a natural style of storytelling that is unique to us.
Here is an activity that will help you focus on the gift God gave you. Start noticing how you tell stories in normal conversation – visiting with friends over coffee, telling your spouse about your day, talking to co-workers. This will give you insight into your natural style of communicating. That is how you should tell stories. Don’t try to tell stories like anyone else. Learn to tell stories like you.
Don’t forget to check out our ‘Story of the Month’ as well
Check out the past five months of stories and tips