I think the phrase "Stories are powerful" is a cliché. But this doesn't change the fact that the power we wield every time we tell a story is so enormous that if we use this power wrongly, the impact will be negative, leading to us telling a sad sequel.
As children, we grew up listening to stories. I think the African folktales told under moonlight are some of the most beautiful stories ever shared. They were beautiful, but they created a stereotype. A belief about Africans and Africa that still plague us, somehow.
Image source
I believe so much in the power of stories that I use stories every time I want to build an emotional bond with someone or my audience. The stories we share connect us with people in ways we could never connect if these stories were never told. Stories can stir war and lead to peace; stories can create or destroy because of the thoughts and emotions they provoke.
".....I remember an event that happened on this fateful day. I had finished buying groceries to last me the entire month; my bags were so heavy that all I wanted was to get home, unpack and get enough rest. A short away from where I purchased the last item on my list, I was about to board a cab when I heard, "beat him, slap him harder," and I left the taxi to take a closer look. I saw a guy of about 22 sitting on the floor, stripped of his clothes, with deep cuts from hard punches and sticks.
This is too much; "what did he do"? I asked the man who had been standing with the angry mobs for a while. He replied to me in pidgin, E steal for person shop. Them say E carry N100,000 from person bag, na another person wey dey the shop catch am as him wan run". (He stole, they said he stole N100,000 ($200) from somebody's bag and was caught as he was about to run with the money). Pathetic right?"
First off, this is not a real story, just a scenario from my imagination. This leads me to talk about places we can draw stories from. Our imagination! Our imaginations can be so powerful and help us paint images that are not real in a way that makes us feel we are already living in them. The story I shared earlier was my imagination. J.K Rowling can attest that our imaginations can help us build highly amazing stories that will look like real-life events.
Image source
We can also share stories from our daily lives, our encounters with the people we meet. These stories allow people to be emotionally invested in us, but they are the most difficult to tell. What is so difficult about sharing how you lost a dog you love so much and became depressed?
What is so difficult about telling people how you were broke and could only afford one meal every day until things changed?
Are these stories complicated, or are we just scared that telling them will make us vulnerable, and we are scared that we will be judged by those who lack understanding?
To tell the best story, you should direct your focus on those who will listen and empathize with you rather than those who ridicule you. To share amazing stories, think about people who will find beauty in your vulnerability, laugh at the dry jokes and send you virtual hugs if you are not physically present.
We all should tell stories. Tell as many as you can, as often as time permits you to. You have no idea who your story might liberate.