I took an extended summer break and recently returned from a long vacation in the Philippines where my family and friends celebrated my aunt getting married for the first time. She’s 62.

Annie was living in France in the 1970’s when she met Thomas. Their romance lasted for more than a year until Thomas popped the question. It would have been a sure thing except he wanted to have children, but she didn’t. They found no compromise to stay together so they parted ways. Thomas moved to Switzerland and started a family. Annie stayed in Paris for another twenty years before returning to Manila to be with her aging parents. She decided to stay for good.

In March 2011, Thomas booked a flight to the Philippines after his friend and colleague asked for his help in setting up a new business venture in Asia. At the time, Thomas was retired and had been divorced for ten years. A few days after arriving in Manila, Thomas started a search to be reunited with Annie. The phone book turned up several Annies, but not his. He tried his personal connections and found Nora who used to do business with my aunt. When Thomas called the number that Nora gave him, a familiar voice answered. Since then, Thomas never let go. Every day was a proposal; every moment a serenade. He canceled his departure for Switzerland and vowed to woo her until she said yes. After four more months, Annie finally made Thomas the happiest man on earth. If you know Filipinos, you probably already guessed that the turn of events was not without influence from Annie’s family. But that was only because they realized that Thomas and Annie were meant to be. Only by being together can their real story begin.

Our lives reflect either the truth about us and our values, or the expectations of others. Are we exhibiting our own choices, or that which others impose on us? Real stories come from real relationships. It doesn’t have to be a marriage made in heaven; there only has to be honesty.

What is your real story? Do your donors, volunteers, board members and staff share your organization’s values and vision? Are they also telling your real story? Will you enter into a relationship for the short-term gain? Or do you purposefully seek true partners whose contributions will sustain for the long haul?

Annie and Thomas taught me that living happily ever after is not the point. Rather, it’s believing that together you will.

Let’s be together this fall for more learning through storytelling…

Our new workshop series begins September 20 with our popular writing workshop Commercial-ize Your Mission. We’re hosting two workshops in October – Don’t Let Words Get in the Way on the 11th and The Power of Symbols on the 18th – both focusing on other tools of storytelling beyond the conventional use of words. Finally, save the date for our newest workshop – Writing for Video – on November 13. Details coming soon.

Registration begins next week Tuesday, August 28 – stay tuned for more details. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of summer.

A friend recently shared with me this quote from Judy Collins — acclaimed musician, author and artist:

‎The creative act is one of great boldness where you act on your own beliefs.
Creativity is the ability to risk being different from the crowd,
to think differently, to act differently, and yet in a calculated, orderly fashion 
so that your idea, your vision, your new insight, is clear.
It is the successful effort to make completeness out of chaos,
to make the world dance, for a moment or forever,
to your drum, at your pace, to your dream.

Great storytelling creates a whole new world in a person’s mind. It is Creativity stirring the senses and the imagination of the reader/listener/viewer. Boldness comes from making specific choices for how you tell your story — whose voice, whose eyes, what obstacles, which characters, how they struggle and how they will triumph — to serve a clear and relevant message. But your most important decision is: “To whom am I telling my story?” Everything else, all your other choices fall in line.

Discovered this short film about Caine Monroy, a 9-year old boy who created an arcade made entirely out of cardboard inside his dad’s used auto parts store.

Caine is a hero. To him who creates. To her who shares her passion. To someone who has a message. But is ignored.

Caine is a teacher. I learned three things.

ONE

There is wisdom in going back to the basics. You can go to an arcade with high-tech games plus all the bells and whistles. Or you can play in Caine’s cardboard arcade. You decide which captures the true meaning of play.

TWO

Don’t underestimate the power of one believer. It only takes one domino, the right domino, to make all the other pieces fall.

THREE

Always keep it simple and easy. People come to Caine’s arcade knowing who built it and why he waits everyday for someone to play. Everyone gets it.

WE CAME TO PLAY!

Join the fun and creativity tomorrow —

Our workshop series kicks off on April 18 with Your Story Can Make You Extraordinary: A Writing Workshop hosted by the Rogers Park Business Alliance.

Imagine your organization has a spot for a tv commercial during the Super Bowl. What do you say to a captive audience of millions — in 30 seconds? This workshop challenges the conventional use of words. Stripping down your message into the bare essentials can be the key to revealing the most valuable aspects of your organization.

Space is limited to 12 participants.

Click here for more information and to register.

See you tomorrow!

A local nonprofit organization recently asked me to facilitate their board retreat. One of the members is familiar with my team’s storytelling workshops and he felt that stories could possibly add an interesting dimension to the half-day activity. I could not have agreed more.

To quote Thaler Pekar, principal partner of Thaler Pekar & Partners, in her lecture at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University: “When you share a story, you will spark a story. That is the power of story: it is an emergent form of communication, possessing the ability to tap into the experiences of your listener.”

At the initial phone conference with some of the board members, they expressed their need to get to know each other more deeply. One of them used the words “appreciate each other in a context larger than the organization.”

Truly, since the birth of verbal language, people have bonded and maintained more intimate connections through stories they’ve told and shared. In a story, you get the layers of events, ideas, characters, values, beliefs and emotions — all woven into a rich tapestry you can touch and feel. And if you allow yourself the luxury of being wrapped around this rich form of communication, you can be transformed.

Ms. Pekar mentions in her post “Why Story Matters” in the Stanford Social Innovation Review: “If you are selling change … you want to enable your audience to see possibilities, solutions, and their part in them.”

Being open to change and realizing the need for change is what brought the board members together to lead their neighborhood organization. I feel honored to be helping them begin their new journey where they will create a new chapter for their community — a vision for deeper engagement, vibrant exchange and compelling stories.

And so it begins…

Our storytelling workshop series kicks off on April 18 with Your Story Can Make You Extraordinary: A Writing Workshop hosted by the Rogers Park Business Alliance.

Imagine your organization has a spot for a tv commercial during the Super Bowl. What do you say to a captive audience of millions — in 30 seconds? This workshop challenges the conventional use of words. Stripping down your message into the bare essentials can be the key to revealing the most valuable aspects of your organization.

Space is limited to 12 participants. Register now for early bird rate. 

Click here for more information and to register.