Stories engage our thinking, emotions, and imagination all at once. Our ancestors use storytelling to share wisdom, pass on tradition, and teach us important life lessons.

In your profession as a teacher, trainer, facilitator, or coach, the use of stories is powerful to drive home a point. Collect stories, anecdotes from people, books, or the internet that will connect to the topic for your training or your client’s issue. Here is a story from the Points of You Coaching Game Book:

In a small village there was an age-old monastery that served as a center of attraction for thousands of travelers from all around the world. One of the elders of the village lived in the monastery and was entrusted for its upkeep.
One day, a group of tourists showed up at the site. One member knocked on a door and was greeted by the village elder who invited him for team. The traveler cast his eyes over the very humble abode in which he found himself – a single room containing a cast-iron bed, a wooden lamp, two metal chairs, an oil lamp, a floor mat, a dresser, and a number of books.

When the village elder returned with the tea, the tourist asked “You have a very modest home, Sir. There’s no TV, refrigerator, air conditioner, telephone; hardly any furniture. How do you live like this?”
“Where are your possessions?” asked the village elder in turn.
“I’m a traveler; I am only passing through,” replied the visitor.
“We are all only passing through,” replied the old man. – Folk Tale