April 10, 2010 223 Comments

The Importance of Story in Your Life

I’ve already raved about Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Watch the video again, if you want:

The book is about story, but it’s not exactly a book about writing. It’s about seeing your life like a story. It’s about living a better story. It’s about learning how to be present and interact in your life’s story.

Quite simply: it’s the type of book that can help you change your life, if you’re willing to do the work.

I spoke to Michael Hyatt at Thomas Nelson, Don Miller’s publisher. He’s a great guy, and he’s endured my public speaking a few times so far, so I give him extra credit for that. Michael very kindly offered me 100 books to give away, knowing just how much I loved Don’s book.

So, for you, a challenge:

Get a Copy of Donald Miller’s Book

(This is only open to folks in the US for this particular project. But you should still consider getting the book, no matter.)

Here’s what I’d love to do. I’d love for you to write a quick blog post about the importance of story in your life. That’s it. If you want, link back to http://www.chrisbrogan.com/importance-of-story, so I’ll see the trackbacks as well.

When you’ve submitted your post, fill out this form, and give us the URL where we can see the story. Work for you?

It’s a great book and deserves a lot of attention in 2010. I hope you decide to check it out.

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  • GlendaM

    I bought the book after you first posted your review. I am almost done it and love it! Well worth the investment – $ and time.

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  • drakelevasheff

    Thanks for posting this, Chris. I really enjoy your blog!

    Viewing our lives as a story provides meaning for life and helps us to recognize that dark times are not the end. I've experienced that in my son's story (viewable at STORYofJUDSON.com).

  • http://twitter.com/mikeneumann Mike Neumann

    oh I LOVED “Blue Like Jazz”. I bought about 5 copies of it over a year or so after I read it and just gave them away to friends with whom I thought it would resonate. It did. Some of his illustrations/stories from “Blue Like Jazz” still play back in my mind as I just go about living life.

    Thanks for letting us/me know about his new book. I'm definitely going to track a copy down and devour it.

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  • rosshudgens

    Great linkbait technique with free books!

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Works for me, baby. : )

  • http://twitter.com/ZBrown Zach Brown

    Great idea Chris! I love Don Miller's books, they have always stimulated thought and/or action in my own life. Here is my submission: Living a Better Story http://borderdisciple.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/…

    @ZBrown

  • http://www.rocknrealty.net Nanette Labastida

    oh just you wait – that is if i can read my own handwriting tomorrow when i go to post #iwriteonmytrustylegalpad

  • http://kathynicholls.com Kathy Nicholls

    Chris, I got this book some time back after seeing an interview with Don by Michael Hyatt, whose blog I follow (and you're right, he's a great guy). I wrote about the book here: http://kathynicholls.com/2010/01/book-review-a-…. I would agree that this book is one that has changed my life this year. I happened to get it at a time when I had been laid off from my job and was really in that mode of deciding what the story of my life would be from here. It was great timing and has really made a difference.

  • myrtlebeachcondos

    All life is a story, your own and other people's. That the story can be moulded to generate revenue is what Miller's book expounds so well.

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  • mistressmia

    Isn't anyone going to say anthing about Chris' hair? I guess not … “grease” montage burning up the quarter mile over and over in my head … but it's not the first time that it's just been me. Love your review for the book. On my must read list for this week. Thanks Mr Brogan.

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  • http://kendonaldson.com/ Ken Donaldson

    Living my life as a story means that I’m the author of every day.
    I can choose my thoughts carefully, as well as what I say.

    I can make this chapter exciting, yes, to hurl the Mojo through the veins.
    Or perhaps today the hero I’ll be, extracting all human pain.

    Or I can write it bland and boring….it’s absolutely my choice.
    I can be quiet and impotent or have a triumphant voice.

    As the author of my story, I can play big or small.
    I can manifest every great thing, or simply lose it all.

    And if I don’t like the ending, I’ll write it again and again.
    I’ll make peace with my enemies and everyone becomes my friend.

    But in writing such a story, I risk being misunderstood.
    My neighbors might make fun of me, and run me from the ‘hood.

    But I now must ask myself, as another chapter elapses,
    Did I live in discovery or add to my numerous relapses?

    Yes I choose to write today, as big and bold as I can.
    You see, it matters not what others think, this is simply who I am.

    And since I must sleep tonight with me, myself and I,
    I choose today to author my life as one uncommon guy.

    Uncommon because, I say to you, I’m living outside the lines.
    And that, my friend, now I know is Authoring by Design…

    http://kendonaldson.com/ken-donaldson-answers-t…

  • http://twitter.com/VelChain Dave Lutz

    Chris, neat idea! I'm going to cheat a bit. I wrote a post that aligns to your request about a month ago over on the Velvet Chainsaw Midcourse Correction blog. Here's a link – http://tinyurl.com/y9c4w6n

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  • debbiephillips

    Chris, can't agree more with you and Don Miller. Wisdom from story-telling is one of the reasons I compiled the book “Women on Fire: 20 Inspiring Women Share Their Life Secrets (and Save You Years of Struggle!)” In it, real-life women share a struggle and the inspiration, strategies and support she used to work through it to relief or celebration.

    I've been blown away by readers' responses to the chapters and to the co-authors' saying how healing it was to write their story. Story-telling is win-win.

  • karensperspective

    Blogging has definitely made me see Life like a Story. Everything, everyone, every event is a potential post topic. I am loving it and not even realizing why. This post gave me a definition for my new way of observation – I'm now viewing Life like a Story!

  • http://www.mindadventure.com/ rob white

    One of the greatest tip I learned years ago is that my interpretation of life is MY STORY. There are a billion other folks out there that see life differently than me. What's great about this? I can change my story if it has me living a tragedy. I can crerate a new stroy and reinvent myself anew in the process. That is what having breakthroughs are all about!
    rob mindadventure.com

  • http://www.melaniekissell.com melaniekissell

    Hey, you've done some remodeling here CB dot com – looks good and feels good. Nice to see some splashes of red goin' on. Red is a color that represents “energy” and your posts are definitely energizing, Chris!

    What a delight and what a treat to have the chance to get a copy of Don's book. I just joined a 30-day blogging challenge that started yesterday so this will be a way cool topic to blog about.

    Thanks, Chris!

  • http://www.ScanYourMemory.com Sandy Doherty

    I am amazed when people say that they don’t have a story to tell. For some reason they don’t see how they have changed someone’s day, week, year or life. We are all put on this earth and it is up to us to make the time productive and meaningful, which can only be defined by the person themselves. Most of us try to live by the golden rule: Do unto others as you want done to you. I encourage you to not only tell someone that you love them but tell them HOW they have made a difference in your life.
    http://sandydoherty.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/th…

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  • shereejohnson

    To be human is to have a story. Stories are how we convey our deepest emotions and talk about those things that we value the most. Please read “The Persuasive Power of Story” at http://www.storytellings.com/library.htm

  • http://www.grief2grace.org/ Angela Schaefers

    Why your story matters…

    With the world constantly evolving into one of instantaneous answers, mass information through the internet, business being done at lightening speed and a less personal mode of communication with others, how do we stay connected to one another?

    One way is by sharing our stories. Story telling has been crucial to the growth and changes our world has experienced for many, many years. Even when evidence of how lives were lived were left behind unintentionally, the gathering of such information helped create a story about how those before us lived. We have learned a great deal about various cultures of the human race from story telling.

    Yet, today it seems more and more that the value of telling our story has somehow been lost between technology and the fracture of family and community. When families, neighborhoods and cultures have stories to share about daily life it helps create a sense of connection. These stories have also helped others to feel encouraged and inspired by what someone has overcome in life and how they succeeded in a variety of ways.

    In sharing my own life story, I mistakenly believed that no one would want to hear my story of what I had lived through and have overcome. Yet as I shared my story of living a life of grief to grace, I realized many people wanted and needed to hear about my life challenges and the many blessings that came despite impossible odds.

    I only intended to write my life story for my children, who at the time were ages 3, 12 and 16. I had been diagnosed with stage IV cancer and was told my life would not last long. Leaving behind my story was a way for my kids to hopefully understand who I was and how I became that person through my life experiences. Being encouraged to share my story publicly was life changing! I found great healing through the realization that my story, just an ordinary person, was something of value to others. When others communicated to me that my story and my survival was one of encouragement, hope and inspiration I felt a sudden, deep in my heart and soul healing. I knew then that all that I endured and overcome was for a reason. That reason was the wisdom I had gained and sharing that wisdom was to help others in their journey of life struggles. To have a positive impact on others lives made everything I had been through worth it!

    Each of our stories have a common thread of hope, perseverance and maybe even faith. A story about a miracle of healing or one of the most unlikely individual to succeed in college to stories about persevering in the midst of a hopeless illness or injury has the ability to encourage and inspire others.

  • http://www.melaniekissell.com melaniekissell

    Okay, Chris, here ya go …

    Blogged: “To Find Your Voice, Go Out On A Limb And Tell Your Story” http://melaniekissell.com/blog

    Thanks for filling a chunk of my Sunday with a worthwhile activity,
    Melanie

  • http://classiccamaroaccessories.com/ Jose

    Hello , I have 15 yrs. savy skills with 1st 2nd gen camaro part’s.Judges at car shows have awarded me with trophys,I like racing ,my first car i really liked was the KR GT500 shelby mustang as child.An I wish to bring the hearts of others with common interests .

  • http://classiccamaroaccessories.com/ Jose

    Hello , I have 15 yrs. savy skills with 1st 2nd gen camaro part’s.Judges at car shows have awarded me with trophys,I like racing ,my first car i really liked was the KR GT500 shelby mustang as child.An I wish to bring the hearts of others with common interests .
    Edit

  • emilyannpeterson

    I talk about “Story” in almost every cello lesson that I teach. I feel like that word is on my lips ALL the time. and I love it. I've been waiting to read this book for awhile now.

    http://www.emilyannpeterson.com/blog_files/f61e…

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  • http://www.quired.com J. Paul Duplantis

    Just posted my article Chris. I was right in the middle of writing another blog when I ran across your request. Very thought provoking so I had to dig in right away. Your fault that I will not finish my other article today:-)

    Here is the article
    http://www.quired.com/blog/article/417/remote

    I submitted the form but would like to take my free copy and give this to somebody in your community. (I will buy a copy for myself) Don't know if this is possible.

  • tony

    story is important to put life in context. There is so much more going on than just our story line — we are a tapestry of stories put together for a unique purpose

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  • http://www.rocknrealty.net Nanette Labastida

    I'm enjoying reading these different posts that have come out of this! and one thing i'm finding interesting is how many people are saying that they have had ideas for this before, or notes on this theme ect… but that THIS is what pushed to actually write. Me too. Just think if we had that motivation within ourselves to just do it. I keep saying that to myself but still finding an inspiration somewhere sure does help… babysteps

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  • http://www.webconsuls.com/ Judy Helfand

    Chris, You do have a way of motivating people. I think, in part, because you engage people and ask them to have fun. You validate their abilities to write. And you communicate with feedback. So, today I took your challenge. Here is a link to my post about “The Importance of Story In Your Life.” http://blog.webconsuls.com/2010/04/importance-o…

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  • elizabethdcampi

    That's a really interesting concept. I like the idea of improving your life story! If you take a step back and look at your life as a story instead of just the “ho-hum” daily grind, it makes things much more interesting.

  • elizabethdcampi

    That's such an interesting concept! I like the idea of looking at your life as a story and looking for ways to make your story more interesting. If you take a step back and view your life as a story that's unfolding, you can easily break away from the ho-hum daily grind. Thanks for posting this–I'm excited to go check out this book now!

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