The Challenge

This challenge was not much of a challenge for me. I am a Social Work student, helping

people is always my passion. I am that friend that is always there to listen and give advice or encouragement. My friend had a problem with her fiance and she didn't know who to talk to about her problem.

She recently found out that she had a huge temporary (1 year) job offer out of the country

but her fiance is already settled in the country they were living in at the moment. She did not know when she would get there given that she had to wait for her visa and travelling was a mystery. They were already planning their wedding. She was overwhelmed.

The Selection and Application

When she called me crying and was explaining the problem to me, the first thing that came

to my mind was my similar experience. I had a huge opportunity to leave the country and it posed problems in my relationship. However, I studied, we both visited whenever we could and I came back for good after four years, just like we planned. So I told my story, I selected storytelling because it was the best option at that time, it helped me to express how I relate to her feelings. I applied it well but not well enough.

The Insight and Approach Gained

She took my story as hope which was good but she also used my solution which wasn't the

best idea for her situation. I didn't think that my solution would work for her and I didn't expect her to use mine. This experience made me learn to be careful with storytelling, in that not just telling the story but also emphasizing exceptions.

On a next occasion if I'm using storytelling I must emphasize why I'm sharing the story, in

this case it was hope and emphasize that everyone is different and my solutions may not work for another. However if advice is needed give it well, but allow the person to make their decision.

