Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge

For as long as I have known, I have always felt pleasure in helping less fortunate people, simply  because I also know what it feels like not to have something that you really want, or really need in  most instances, and that’s where my love for doing good for others came about. I joined an  organization where I would collect clothes, shoes and toiletries. I arranged these into what I would   call “a gift box”. Each box consisted of 5 to 7 items which included a clothing item (tshirt, pants,  jersey, or jacket), a toiletry item (soap, wash cloth, toothbrush and/or tooth paste), an edible item  (sweets or chocolates), a toy (of the gift were for children), a stationery item (pens, pencils,  colouring book). The people that we donated the boxes to were children between the ages of 2 and  16. Every volunteer that wanted to complete a gift box would sign up and they would get the age,  clothing size and only first name of the child that the box would be given to. It was very big challenge  at first to get people not only into donating their buy to purchase the items, but to also convince  them to donate their time and energy into compiling this box and decorate it to make it special to  give to a child. I needed to get 100 people to donate a box to put 100 smiles on 100 children’s faces.

Selection

I chose to use storytelling as a tool to show people how much of an impact and how much that one  box could change someone’s life. I had a story to tell, but most importantly I had a story to show.  This story had the potential to change one’s perspective about helping people and what a difference  a box could make. Like Andre Martin in the lecture video said, storytelling is about the connection,  its about conveying a message but most importantly its about creating a cause.

Application

I always used storytelling to gain people’s trust that the boxes they donate are in good hands and  will be handed over to the children. I tell them a story about a lady who is a volunteer for gift boxes  because she herself was once given a giftbox that changed her life. This young girl grew up with a  single mom who had to provide for her and her 2 brothers. Her mom would really try give the girl  what she needed but couldn’t always give her what she wanted. One day, at school, the gift box  organization were giving out boxes to the kids, and the little girl receive a box with clothing,  toiletries and a book called “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. The book is a personal  development and self-improvement book and most importantly helps develop one’s purpose in life.  The young girl read the book and found her purpose which was always creating meaningfulness in  any situation and for others to receive fulfillment, happiness and meaning in return. If it wasn’t for  the box the young girl got with the book inside, she probably wouldn’t know her purpose right now,  and she wouldn’t be continuing the cycle of helping others like she does today, that box turned the  girls life around by giving her a positive mindset from early age, and she is living proof today because  the young girl is … me, this is my true testament and story . I would like for another young girl and  boy to feel the same way, it may not be from a book, but it can be the feeling of happiness that  comes with the gift box. Happiness I felt when I got a gift box.

Insight and approach

When I tell my story, it usually calms the environment, and it’s as if I can feel people’s hearts open  up to the idea of donating a gift box. My story shows how much a box can make a difference to  someone, and how far it can go because here I am trying to make the same difference I felt, for 100  other children. This story makes people trust the process, and trust that they will feel so good about  helping someone. Thereafter, that’s how donations came, people went above and beyond with  compiling a box, remember that the minimum requirement was for the box to have 5-7 items and  now the boxes that would be donated after telling my story were overflowing, people donated more  than one clothing item and items that I know the children would cherish. The volunteers would  really personalize the boxes and treated the child like one of their own.

I told my story to every volunteer, and we managed to collect almost 1000 boxes instead, ten times  more than we anticipated because my story resonated with people and it was a story they could  share, the story created a sense of connectedness and became a cause for every volunteer who  became part of the organization.

This is what storytelling has taught me, to use stories to resonate with humans, because sometimes  we think people wont know you one feels, but story telling connects us humans and conveys a  message that humans want to trust and create a cause, and storytelling gives them a platform to do  so. It was a challenge to get volunteers to donate gift boxes, but storytelling made the donating a  box more authentic

Storytelling can help me interpret my purpose and the purpose of other people and can help me  with any projects that I will be involved in the future and help interpret knowledge on the audience.  Story telling is at the foundation of design thinking because through stories, we impact people and  make them support our ideas and projects so that they can spread the message. Stories shows  empathetic organizations and businesses need to be in their approach to appealing and  communicating to customers. I will personally continue to use story telling as tool to solve problems  because at the end of the day we are humans, and humans engage in stories because we all think we  go through situations by ourselves when we don’t, and story telling gives us access to that  connectedness.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge For as long as I have known , I have always felt pleasure in helping less fortunate people , simply because I also know what it feels like not to have something that you really want , or really need in most instances , and that ’s where my love for doing good for others came about . I joined an organization where I would collect clothes , shoes and toiletries . I arranged these into what I would call “ a gift box ” . Each box consisted of 5 to 7 items which included a clothing item ( tshirt , pants , jersey , or jacket ) , a toiletry item ( soap , wash cloth , toothbrush and/or tooth paste ) , an edible item ( sweets or chocolates ) , a toy ( of the gift were for children ) , a stationery item ( pens , pencils , colouring book ) . The people that we donated the boxes to were children between the ages of 2 and 16 . Every volunteer that wanted to complete a gift box would sign up and they would get the age , clothing size and only first name of the child that the box would be given to . It was very big challenge at first to get people not only into donating their buy to purchase the items , but to also convince them to donate their time and energy into compiling this box and decorate it to make it special to give to a child . I needed to get 100 people to donate a box to put 100 smiles on 100 children ’s faces . Selection I chose to use storytelling as a tool to show people how much of an impact and how much that one box could change someone ’s life . I had a story to tell , but most importantly I had a story to show . This story had the potential to change one ’s perspective about helping people and what a difference a box could make . Like Andre Martin in the lecture video said , storytelling is about the connection , its about conveying a message but most importantly its about creating a cause . Application I always used storytelling to gain people ’s trust that the boxes they donate are in good hands and will be handed over to the children . I tell them a story about a lady who is a volunteer for gift boxes because she herself was once given a giftbox that changed her life . This young girl grew up with a single mom who had to provide for her and her 2 brothers . Her mom would really try give the girl what she needed but could n’t always give her what she wanted . One day , at school , the gift box organization were giving out boxes to the kids , and the little girl receive a box with clothing , toiletries and a book called “ Think and Grow Rich ” by Napoleon Hill . The book is a personal development and self - improvement book and most importantly helps develop one ’s purpose in life . The young girl read the book and found her purpose which was always creating meaningfulness in any situation and for others to receive fulfillment , happiness and meaning in return . If it was n’t for the box the young girl got with the book inside , she probably would n’t know her purpose right now , and she would n’t be continuing the cycle of helping others like she does today , that box turned the girls life around by giving her a positive mindset from early age , and she is living proof today because the young girl is … me , this is my true testament and story . I would like for another young girl and boy to feel the same way , it may not be from a book , but it can be the feeling of happiness that comes with the gift box . Happiness I felt when I got a gift box . Insight and approach When I tell my story , it usually calms the environment , and it ’s as if I can feel people ’s hearts open up to the idea of donating a gift box . My story shows how much a box can make a difference to someone , and how far it can go because here I am trying to make the same difference I felt , for 100 other children . This story makes people trust the process , and trust that they will feel so good about helping someone . Thereafter , that ’s how donations came , people went above and beyond with compiling a box , remember that the minimum requirement was for the box to have 5 - 7 items and now the boxes that would be donated after telling my story were overflowing , people donated more than one clothing item and items that I know the children would cherish . The volunteers would really personalize the boxes and treated the child like one of their own . I told my story to every volunteer , and we managed to collect almost 1000 boxes instead , ten times more than we anticipated because my story resonated with people and it was a story they could share , the story created a sense of connectedness and became a cause for every volunteer who became part of the organization . This is what storytelling has taught me , to use stories to resonate with humans , because sometimes we think people wo nt know you one feels , but story telling connects us humans and conveys a message that humans want to trust and create a cause , and storytelling gives them a platform to do so . It was a challenge to get volunteers to donate gift boxes , but storytelling made the donating a box more authentic Storytelling can help me interpret my purpose and the purpose of other people and can help me with any projects that I will be involved in the future and help interpret knowledge on the audience . Story telling is at the foundation of design thinking because through stories , we impact people and make them support our ideas and projects so that they can spread the message . Stories shows empathetic organizations and businesses need to be in their approach to appealing and communicating to customers . I will personally continue to use story telling as tool to solve problems because at the end of the day we are humans , and humans engage in stories because we all think we go through situations by ourselves when we do n’t , and story telling gives us access to that connectedness .