One might see it as a time-consuming, life-devouring, soul-sucking articulation—a dangerous undertaking in any right, as all storytelling is. Or it can be the unleashing of a soul through words, the deliverance of a heart to the reader; the writer making himself so vulnerable as to translate his thoughts—no, his being, his very self—into language for others to view on paper.
It may take days, years, or merely minutes to relate a single telling. Putting down certain details may drastically change the feel or perspective, although perspective is always relative to the receiver. The best storyteller can make you feel as if you are without life or breath if they do not continue with their account. Some dedicate their entire lives to learning the art and making it undoubtedly their own possession. Others, not much time at all. Most are worth their weight in gold; about few can you say storytelling was not meant for them. A story is not “good” or “bad”, only different, and different people will tell it different ways.
A story begins with a thought, a single idea, or a random dialogue. But not all tales are written. At times, they were verbal, told only by those with the memories or the ability. They can last years or simply moments. Many stories are not ever written, only spoken or rehearsed in thought. If every story that existed (whether in written word, spoken word, or thought) had been told or recorded, what would the world be like today? Wouldn’t lives have changed for the better or worse? Where would we be today?
Not every story is for the good, neither are they all happy narratives. But do they create change? I believe every story will have an impact on the reader, whether it is negative or positive, small or big. That is determined by how it is told, who tells it, and how one receives it. Words are the most powerful tool any human being can use, and storytellers are well versed in their ability to use them. One could say that storytellers are some of the most powerful people on the earth.
Your life is a story. Some would tell you that you are the writer and can make your own path, but that is not entirely true. Your story, in fact, has already been written. It’s even finished. It was completed before you were even in existence. Yes, you have a free will and are under no manipulation or control whatsoever. But your book was written by the Greatest Writer, the One who knows what choices you will make with the free will He gave you. You are the reader, and you are discovering what has been written about you. Your story has been written, but it is your choice on which chapter to be on at any given time. You can’t skip ahead, but maybe you remain in a chapter longer than necessary. Learn to let your story live and breathe. Get the life that the Writer intends for you to have. The soul in the story, the spirit unleashed in the telling is His. Don’t let His storytelling be wasted.
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