This is how you slow down time
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Welcome to Issue 59 of A Good Reputation, a newsletter about how to tell a better story to build better brands. (Did someone send you? Subscribe here.) (Miss past issues? Read those here.) Hello Reader, Even though this year was incredibly busy at times and packed with work, travel, social events, responsibilities, and raising little humans, I can honestly say that the time has not flown by for me. It feels like it went at just the right pace, with each day offering either something new to understand, something old to unpack, something hard to work through, or something delightful to simply hold. And the reason it feels this way is that every day, no matter how mundane, I took a few minutes to reflect on what happened, how it made me feel, what it made me think, and how (if at all) it changed me or the world around. What started as a forced exercise to build a robust bank of stories turned into a daily habit that allowed me to significantly slow down and notice my life as it’s happening. This not only made every day memorable, but it also made every day count. In what feels like the most chaotic, disconnected, and uncertain time in human history, this was a beautiful gift. Because no matter what's going on in the world, I can make sense of mine. While time will still move faster or slower depending on what’s going on—and things might not feel like they make any sense—it won’t fly or be for nothing when you're intentionally paying attention. A Good DefinitionMany of us forget (or perhaps never learned) that the definition of a story is simply this: A series of events with a beginning, a middle, and an end that help convey an idea through something that changed. That change, however big or small, is the critical piece here. When you tell a story, you’re illustrating how the world was one way, then some stuff happened, and now the world is a new way. In other words, a story helps us understand not just what happened, but why it matters. Without that change, and without that why, all you have is an anecdote. The reason this is so important to understand—and the reason “storytelling” is now supposedly the most sought-after skillset in business (always was, really) is because true storytellers help us make order, meaning, and sense out of the mess. And usually in an entertaining, memorable, and easy-to-follow way. When you become a practiced storyteller, you become a person who’s attuned to all those little changes that shape all these little stories that create narratives that help us understand something about ourselves, our lives, our work, or the world around. And when you share those stories, you help give meaning to the rest of us. You become a meaning maker. A Good TakeawayI used to be one of those people who would throw up my hands when something tragic, seemingly senseless, or confusing happened and say, “Welp, I guess everything happens for a reason.” But now I believe that stuff happens, and then we get to choose to give it a reason. We’re in control of shaping the stories that happen every day and throughout our lifetimes. We're also in control of how and why it matters to us, and how it shapes our lives or work going forward. This reframe—and this daily exercise of noticing the little shifts in perspective—has allowed me to better understand myself and what I have to offer the world. It's also given me a greater sense of agency over my life. If becoming a better storyteller is your goal for next year, I hope you consider incorporating this daily practice of noticing and reflecting into your daily routine. Because the more you notice, the more stories you'll have at the end of each day and each year that help you see how time didn’t just pass, but how it shaped you. A Few Good Resources
Wishing you a restful and reflective end of the year, |