We use the word “story” a lot, but there are several times when we actually mean something else: narrative. The classic definition of story is something with a beginning, a middle, and an end, but Ron Ploof’s definition is: “a thing that results from people pursuing what they want.” A narrative, on the other hand, Jeffry R. Halverson describes as “a system of stories that, taken altogether, paint a larger narrative with a beginning, a middle, but not an end.”

So, a narrative has a lot of things that stories have, like characters and motivations, but the difference is that it isn’t over. It has a hopedfor end, but it’s evolving, and there are any number of individual stories that support it. The thing to realize is that you have a system of stories, too.

When you’re trying to figure out your narrative, first look at the stories you like to tell in terms of the Red Thread: what was the Goal? What were the Problems getting in the way? What you’ll start to find is that there are consistencies in some places at the deeper level of principles. The other important thing is that the story is ongoing, so you need to use active, futureoriented language, and use your beliefs to talk about why you approach something a particular way or will be doing something about it.

Find your Red Thread at tamsenwebster.com