I invited my friend to join my UCLA course. In addition to being a bestselling author, Deepak is a practitioner of narrative medicine. This approach to treatment, is based on scientific evidence that back stories affect and afflict everyone’s life. For better or worse, they’re always there. And because of that, story tellers need to pay close attention to not only their own back stories, but also to their listeners’.
Back stories, which emerge out of our memories of past experiences, imagination, and desire. “You create stories around these thoughts. Then you live out those stories and you call it life.” Back stories actually can define a person’s future, Deepak said, “because we’re conditioned by experience to repeat our stories.”
Chopra Center for Wellbeing
As a positive example of back story, Deepak told the tale his mother used to tell him when he was a child. “‘There’s this goddess of wisdom. And there’s a goddess of wealth. If you pursue the goddess of wisdom, then the goddess of wealth will become jealous and pursue you.” I started having relationships with these imaginary gods and goddesses and enacting my own stories with them.”
Those relationships became a core part of his lived back story. Having known Deepak for years, I can attest that he’s never stopped pursuing the goddess of wisdom, and the goddess of wealth has filled his wallet many times over.
MORE ABOUT TELL TO WIN
To validate the power of telling purposeful stories, Guber includes in this book a remarkably diverse number of ‘voices’ – master tellers with whom he’s shared experiences. They include YouTube founder Chad Hurley, NBA champion Pat Riley, clothing designer Norma Kamali, “Mission to Mars” scientist Gentry Lee, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, former South African president Nelson Mandela, magician David Copperfield, film director Steven Spielberg, novelist Nora Roberts, rock legend Gene Simmons, and physician and author Deepak Chopra.
After listening to this extraordinary mix of voices, you’ll know how to craft, deliver – and own – a story that is truly compelling, one capable of turning others into viral advocates for your goal.
