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362 Stories Influence Our Identity and Personal Narrative

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

Release Date: 12/31/2024

378 Demonstrating Who You Are Through Story show art 378 Demonstrating Who You Are Through Story

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

378 Demonstrating Who You Are Through Story   Through the art of storytelling people can get a glimpse into who we are in the way that is most meaningful to show. Through our stories and how we tell them we can show an entire room of people, or just that one significant person, who we are and what matters to us.    Highlights Using story to show who you are as a person and what matters most to you. Creating an environment where everyone feels safe, welcome, and willing to share their stories. Reflection and the importance of examining our past actions.   ...

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377 The Art of Storytelling: A Controlled Burn in The Forest Of Life show art 377 The Art of Storytelling: A Controlled Burn in The Forest Of Life

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

377 The Art of Storytelling: A Controlled Burn in The Forest Of Life   Throughout life we have a tendency to collect things, whether they be stories, memories, or physical objects, and more often than not we cling to these things despite them no longer serving us in any meaningful capacity. Which is why it is important to sit back, look at your hoard and realize you are not a dragon who must keep every single piece of scrap. You can thank the item, story, or memory and leave it behind so that you can open up to new possibilities and new meaningful things to put in your life. In todays...

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376 The Art of Storytelling: What Makes A Good Leader? show art 376 The Art of Storytelling: What Makes A Good Leader?

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

376 The Art of Storytelling: What Makes A Good Leader?  What is it that makes a leader someone worth following? Is it the way they approach problems? Is it how they treat those who follow them or those who don’t? Or is it something more unique to each individual?  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins demonstrates through her art of storytelling how she has led others and helped them to lead in turn, and how important it is to follow a leader who makes you see the best in yourself, and to help others see the best in themselves. Highlights Show your qualities through your stories,...

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375 Practicing What You Preach show art 375 Practicing What You Preach

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

375 Practicing What You Preach It’s important in life, whether you are running your own business or in your daily life, to practice what you preach. Not only do you avoid being seen as hypocritical but often the best person to give you advice is you. Consult with other coaches and counselors, ask the opinions of those you love and value, do whatever you need to in order to put yourself on the path to fulfillment and success. In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Mike Trugman discuss practicing their own advice, as well as the importance of doing what you will say you will in order to put...

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374 Passion and The Road To Fulfilling Success show art 374 Passion and The Road To Fulfilling Success

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

374 Passion and The Road To Fulfilling Success   When we were kids we all wanted to be something extraordinary. We wanted to be magicians, doctors, paleontologists, astronauts, ballerinas, but somewhere along the way some of us lose that sparkle. We get sucked into the everyday routine of work and taking care of those around us. However that spark is not lost forever, sometimes existing as a fleeting ember of ambition that only needs to be cultivated to turn into a roaring flame of fulfilling success. In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Jimi Gibson discuss the importance of trying...

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373 Making Space and Time To Truly Enjoy Life show art 373 Making Space and Time To Truly Enjoy Life

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

373 Making Space and Time To Truly Enjoy Life In life we will often be distracted with things we feel like we have to do: Go to University, get a normal job from 9-5, participate in every extra curricular activity that is presented to us, and in doing so we fail to take into account what we need. We need community, we need to experience the beauty of the world we live in, we need to live not just survive.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Joyce Perrin discuss the many adventures they both have lived through and the lessons they learned on their journeys.    Highlights ...

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372 The Art of Storytelling: Connection Over Persuasion, One Relationship At A Time show art 372 The Art of Storytelling: Connection Over Persuasion, One Relationship At A Time

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

372 The Art of Storytelling: Connection Over Persuasion, One Relationship At A Time   Time makes a folktale of the storyteller, and yet even hundreds if not thousands of years later, the stories that mattered -that we connect with- endure. To tell a story effectively means you need to connect with the person who is listening to you.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Jeff Ikler discuss the importance of genuine connection over persuasion in the art of storytelling, and how it is far more meaningful to build a bridge between one another, rather than forcing them to choose one side...

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371 The Frequency Of Fear show art 371 The Frequency Of Fear

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

371 The Frequency Of Fear   It’s easy to be afraid. To stick our heads in the sand and watch another episode of a show that we like to ignore what’s going on. But if we do that than we can never grow. We’re all afraid, but we must act through our fear, refuse to be compliant, refuse to be quiet, and enforce the change we want to see in ourselves and the world around us.   In today’s episode, Sarah Elkins and Nir Megnazi discuss the use of fear in driving us forward and how important it is to work with our fear and through it. Highlights How are you anchoring someone...

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370 Whatever Will Be, Will Be show art 370 Whatever Will Be, Will Be

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

370 Whatever Will Be, Will Be We can often have expectations of how the world is supposed to work, like we are running out of time or that we have to hold on desperately to ideas and beliefs that no longer serve us. However, it is imperative to our growth as individuals, and in turn, our business ventures, to let go of the beliefs that no longer serve you and to learn to accept that whatever will come to you when you are ready, and in its own good time.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Rashina Gajjar discuss the lessons they’ve learned on their own private journeys, as well as how...

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369 Nurturing Community show art 369 Nurturing Community

Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will

369 Nurturing Community   We’re all human. We all have family, we all have struggles, we all have experienced some sort of adversity, which means we’re more alike than we are different. It can be easy to view the world with blinders on, to ignore it all and keep your nose to the ground, but then your community suffers for it. The people who rely on you, whether it be your friends and family, or a client or customer, by choosing to nurture only our corner of existence, the rest of our community suffers. Just like tending a garden, you must tend the whole garden, spread love and...

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362 Stories Influence Our Identity and Personal Narrative 

 

As we close the chapter on 2024 and begin to start anew in 2025, it’s time that we take a step back to reflect on the narratives and stories that we have been harboring. We must take it upon ourselves to determine if these stories still serve us or if it is time to let those stories stay a product of their time and remain in the past so that we can create new stories that reflect us who we are now. 

In today’s monologue Sarah Elkins ruminates on the effect the story The Giving Tree had on her as both a child and a mother, and how it has inspired her to reflect on other stories that no longer serve her. 

 

Highlights

  • What stories are you telling yourself that do not stand the test of time?

  • How do the stories you’ve heard influence you and the relationships with the people around you.

  • It’s not too late to change the ending of your story. Will you choose a kinder conclusion or will you choose the option that gives you peace?

 

Quotes

“Think about the stories that you read to your children in the hopes that they’ll absorb some morality lessons; Like Aesop’s Fables, maybe stories from the bible, or maybe books from your culture or religion. We can’t expect children to absorb those lessons but ignore the ones in Cinderella and The Giving Tree. It doesn’t work like that, literature is Literature.”

“As we head into the new year it’s a really good time to consider our impact on the people and environment around us, and to make an effort to be more intentional about that impact.”

 

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

I challenge you to take inventory of a few things; before you make any new years resolutions, before you pick a word of the year, or as you consider your goals for personal growth in 2025, ask yourself these questions. What influenced my identity as a child or young adult that maybe it’s time to review and consider whether they still resonate and why? What stories have I been told about myself as a child that no longer align with who I am or how I want to experience myself moving forward? And what evidence can I point to, recent stories, that contradict those childhood labels that no longer fit? Lastly, what stories am I continuing to share about other people; my children, my friends, my family, and others in my community and at work, that might be contributing to negativity and division? 

And, as always, thank you for listening.

 

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!