We’ve all faced a scenario like this: we sit through a meeting, presentation or conference, listen to catch what we can, take lots of notes, and then think to ourselves “Good—I got it” as the situation ends.
But did we really?
Did we understand what the speaker was trying to communicate?
The Best Story Wins
Years ago, mealtimes in many homes meant story time – retellings of work experiences, report cards and bargains. When friends, uncles and aunts came to visit and mealtimes were longer, there was more storytelling, gossiping and laughing. (And yes, crying and arguing were part of those stories, too.) Continue Reading →
He can only hear his story: He found her in bed with another man when he returned from an important mission. She can only hear her story: She’s tired of being his second wife – the military is his first.
They’ve got four kids. And along with their wedding vows, they promised each other an ugly divorce – if it came to that.
Each thinks the other is the villain. But they’re about to learn the name of the real enemy. Continue Reading →
Joe read the Go Army ads and enlisted. He’s a good guy. Not Harvard or Stanford material, but a hard worker, a guy who knows that courage is acting in spite of fear. He was also thinking about the post-deployment perks when he signed the papers.
So he goes through kick-butt training, gets deployed, gets knocked down, and two years later comes home with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury.
We face issues in isolation. Despite the fact that our healthcare system, mental health treatment models and behavioral health interventions are often face-to-face centered or group support-focused, most people face their issues alone. Problems are most challenging when people are in their own space, place and moment. That means without their spouse, friends or healthcare provider nearby. Continue Reading →
Our team here at EmotiveStorytelling.com has just spent two days filming and recording the stories of eleven Veterans, most of whom have seen and survived the worst of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was an extraordinary experience that deeply touched all of us who were involved. Each of these Vets has suffered lasting consequences of their combat experience, including Post-Traumatic Stress, mTBI and other emotional pain associated with combat or trauma. Continue Reading →
We’d like to show you an example of a small part of an emotive story focusing on how emotions can be used to provide a powerful resolution to a story. Healing stories, like most stories, have three elements of plot: Conflict which identifies the problem to be solved; Climax, the point of highest tension, and Resolution, the end of the story. In this clip you see the sad resolution of a story about suicide. This is indeed the end of the story.
Continue Reading →
The Rider and the Elephant
Life presents an endless opportunity for rational choice to confront the weakness of will. This endless challenge defines and shapes us for better or worse. The essence of human behavior change resides at this nexus.
To appreciate the basis for human behavior is it helpful, if not essential, to the observe the relationship that exists between the emotive and cognitive mind.
Mike Bradley joined the Army to be a medic, but an improvised explosive devise and traumatic brain injury cut his career short. With health issues and without a degree, his employment options were limited. But through connections, resources and the Wounded Warrior Project, today he is a supervisor at a security consulting firm.
