Did we ever wonder why we need to hear or read stories.
Three reasons we need to hear or read stories.
1. Cultivation of the mind.
"The mind is it's own place and in itself, can make a heaven of hell , a hell of heaven. - John Milton".
Our minds are a measure of our upbringing and environment.The thaughts in our minds are conditioned in layers of our past experience.
Inspirational stories when heard or read shifts our minds from pessimism to optimism. It shifts our focus from negetive to the positive.
Below is a story of John Henry and the Railroad in you tube. A great example of a story which shifts our mindset.
https://youtu.be/kt9NSMZR0dM
" The synopsis of the story is simple when pushed against the wall , your best is delivered"
The mind shifts from cannot to can. Stories create a beautiful mind.
"The mind is everything. What you think you become." - Buddha
2.Imagination and Beleif
"Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Beliefs can be expanded and expanded beliefs expand imagination. Hearing and reading stories expand your imagination which in turn expands his beleifs.
"At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Roger Gilbert Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres and finished in fourth place. This achievement strengthened his resolve to become the first athlete to finish the mile run in under four minutes. He accomplished this feat on 6 May 1954 at Iffley Road track in Oxford, with Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher providing the pacing. When the announcer, Norris McWhirter, declared "The time was three...", the cheers of the crowd drowned out Bannister's exact time, which was 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. He had attained this record with minimal training, while practising as a junior doctor. Bannister's record lasted just 46 days." - Source https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bannister
The above story is an expansion of imagination and in turn of a beleif system. Till the day of 6th May 1954 no athelete had run a mile under 4 minutes. Once the 4 minute mile barrier was broken it took just 46 days for the beleif system to be changed.
Stories have the power to alter beleif systems of the individual and of collective humanity.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ―Albert Einstein
3. Emotions
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."-Helen Keller
Stories kindle our emotions in two ways. They make us feel for the other and teach us life philosophies to encounter situations which are unpleasant.
Below story picked up on the internet is agreat example of "feeling for the other"
"He loves her. I can tell. He looks at her the way I look at him"
Most stories from sciptures are teachers in life. The meanings they give out teach us emotional tranquility within ourselves.
Let's read a story from an anonymous author on how a story teaches life philosophies -
"There was a group of women in a Bible Study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. "This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.
She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, how do you know when the silver is fully refined? He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you."
Be blessed!
-Author Unknown
Hearing and Reading Stories take care of your three personalities of mind , imagination and emotions.
The only question you need to ask yourself today which stories am I reading or hearing today?
Happy Reading and Listening.
