Stories shape us,but they are also shaped by us

“Stories can change the way we see and see the way we change. They help people discover their true selves,” said storyteller Michael Posnic in one of his recent seminars, while sharing the story of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲 (the story is at the end).

He then asked the audience what they thought about the story, and it was amazing by the variety of interpretations people shared. For one person, it was about how we carry our inner worlds wherever we go. For another, it spoke of empathy, the inability to fully experience someone else’s reality.

Michael continued the experiment, asking if the story could have another meaning, inviting the audience to shift perspectives. And yes amazingly, it could.

𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴; 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀.

Its meaning isn’t fixed; it evolves depending on our mindset, our moment and experiences. 

At the same time, exploring a different perspective can uncover a whole new layer of understanding. What’s your first interpretation of this story? 

And if you looked at it again, from another angle, what else could it mean?

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺

“𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 ‘𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬’ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 ‘𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘬’ 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘰𝘧 ‘𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳.’

𝘚𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, ‘𝘈𝘩, 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦! 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭.’

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, ‘𝘎𝘦𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.’”