Whether or not you are a great storyteller or not, you surely are a great story-maker. In fact, most of us are!

• He didn’t call me because he doesn’t care… why should I call him now…
• My boss didn’t notice my work… no appreciation… why should I bother…
• She is late again… not even picking up her phone… so inconsiderate…
• Look, how this idiot is driving… let me show him…
• This guy has no idea what he is doing… no sense of customer service…
• Nobody understands my problems…

You get the idea? These are all the beginnings of great stories – mostly fiction. Question is, why do we mostly choose to make stories that make us unhappy, sad, depressed, angry, frustrated or disappointed? And the problem is, our stories affect our beliefs and actions. Negative stories usually result in negative actions.

If we are going to make stories, why not make positive ones that make us happy, smile, laugh, and feel good about ourselves and other people e.g.

• He didn’t call me… he must be busy… let me call and find out…
• My boss didn’t notice my work… perhaps I need to do better…
• She is late… must be stuck in traffic… phone must be out of battery…
• The way he is driving, he must have a serious emergency…
• This guy must be under training… under-paid… tired… on a long shift…
• Everyone trusts me with their problems… I must be really good…

Try giving people the benefit of doubt. Try to make positive stories, and see if they result in positive actions – yours and others’.

“Some call it a blind spot, other naivete, but Mandela sees almost everyone as virtuous until proven otherwise. He starts with an assumption that you are dealing with him in good faith. He believes that, just as pretending to be brave can lead to acts of real bravery, seeing the good in other people improves the chances that they will reveal their better selves.” -Richard Stengel writes in Mandela’s Way.