Key Point: The title to this blog serves the purpose of getting your attention and sparking curiosity. I guess if you’ve read this far, it’s worked. So while the “headline” opens the page, and gets people interested, it’s the richness of the rest of the content that compels us to read on. We are all creating a story of who we are. And most of us want other people to be interested and share the “read.” We are both the medium and content of our story.
In 350 B.C., Aristotle argued that the three principles of ethos, pathos, and logos were fundamental to speech. He felt that good content should have an ethical, emotional and/or a logical appeal. Aristotle’s insights seem entirely modern: If it’s credible and worthy, it appeals to me. I’d also argue that today, as part of our personal story, it helps to create social currency – something that makes people feel that if they “hang with us,” they benefit as well. We also know that what people will remember most about each of us is how we make them feel. That’s one reason people are attracted to positive and authentic people. Who wants to roll with a “pickle face” or someone who never lets you get an inside view of who they are?
I believe each of us already IS a great story and totally worthy of being a “best seller” in our own unique way. However, we are also accountable for refreshing the headline and developing ever-rich content. Each day presents us with a “keyboard” to keep “writing” and while few of us will go viral, our story can still be inspirational, meaningful and memorable.
Character Moves:
- You are a story! Think of “story” as a verb rather than a noun. How does it help to think of yourself as rich content under constant development? What’s the headline? Why would others want to turn the page and get to know you better?
- How do you write the ethical part of your story? Your core beliefs, like self-accountability, respect and abundance frame up every chapter. Define and evolve your deeply held values.
- What is your emotional and logical appeal? What is your purpose? What interesting components of your life have created appealing chapters in your story so far? How do you make people feel when they’re with you? Be intentional about the positive value you want to bring to each interaction.
An Ever-rich Story in The Triangle,
Lorne