Movies are my favorite storytelling medium. We live in an era when movies are the most powerful storytellers of all. Movies are bigger than life. They use images, words, music, and digital magic to take you to places of the heart, the mind, and the imagination.
Movies have life changing power to entertain, empower, terrify, and educate. Movies that touch you can stay with you for a lifetime. Movies can be powerful teachers to show you how to become your true self.
Here are some of my favorites. I’ll keep adding to the list over time.
A Christmas Story (Two-Disc Special Edition) A Christmas Story is about how to get what you want when you have lack of support from the people in your life. This is an inspired movie about a child with a dream and the obstacles he faces to getting what he wants for Christmas. One obstacle is [...]
Apollo 13 (Widescreen Collector’s Edition) Apollo 13 is a story of success and failure. It’s a stunning story about a moon mission that was a “successful failure.” It’s a great story, filled with superb movie-making, rich with themes about problem solving, about success and failure, accomplishments and disappointments, about team efforts, about big dreams. This [...]
Groundhog Day (Special 15th Anniversary Edition) Groundhog Day is about life transformation. It is an exceptional movie about change, transformation, and how to be happy. It’s a different hero’s journey, in which the hero gets the chance to do the same day over and over again, until he is truly transformed by the process. Amazon.com [...]
Joe Versus the Volcano What will you do for money? Does what you do for money make you soul sick? These are the questions of Joe Versus The Volcano. This movie that mixes life transforming insights with a lot of silliness. It is actually one of my favorite movies, despite some flaws. It also has [...]
What About Bob? Can you change your life with positive thinking? Are success affirmations and a positive mindset enough to overcome your life problems? What About Bob? is a movie about Bob, played by Bill Murray. Bob is a man who is so filled with anxieties that he drives psychiatrists crazy with his obsessive neediness. [...]
Myths are a particularly powerful type of story. Although myth definition in common speech tends to treat the word “myth” as a synonym for an untrue story, the real meaning of myth is much deeper. Myths are the real stories we live by.
In his article, “Myth, Politics and the Erosion of The American Dream,” Paul Stoller gives this myth definition. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories, What Is A Story Tags: belief system, change life, change your life, life changing story, life stories, life story, life transformation, make your own story, my life story, my own story, my story, myth definition, personal narrative, personal transformation, power of myth, power of myths, power of story, power to change, story of my life, storytelling, success in life, the power of story, the power to change, what is a myth, your life story, your life your story, your story
This is Part Two of the press interview with James Bonnet, author of Stealing Fire From the Gods, and master story teacher. [Published here with permission.]
For more about James Bonnet, visit www.storymaking.com.
Press Interview, Part Two, With James Bonnet
Question: And how does metaphor fit into all of this?
Bonnet: The metaphors are the secret language of great stories. The hidden, creative energies are transformed into the visual images of story (the metaphors) with the help of the imagination. These metaphors are made of real things that have been taken apart and artistically rearranged to represent these hidden truths. The unique combination of these real things, when brought together, create the characters and actions that express the different characteristics of the hidden creative energies. The natural world is taken apart and rearranged to reveal the supernatural, unconscious, hidden world. And when these visual images correspond to this hidden energy, you get a story with extraordinary power. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories, What Is A Story Tags: change your life, how to write a good story, how to write a story, make a story, stories writing, story creator, story maker, story writer, story writers, story writing, storymaker, storymakers, storyteller, storytellers, storytelling, the storyteller, traditional stories, traditional story, what is a story, write a story, writing a story, writing stories
This is Part One of a press interview with James Bonnet, author of Stealing Fire From the Gods, and master story teacher. It is an excellent introduction to story. [Published here with permission.]
For more about James Bonnet, visit www.storymaking.com.
Press Interview, Part One, With James Bonnet
Question: I notice you use the word storymaker instead of storyteller? Is there a difference?
Bonnet: A significant difference. A storyteller tells stories that already exist. A storymaker creates a new story from whole cloth. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories, What Is A Story Tags: change your life, how to write a good story, how to write a story, make a story, stories writing, story creator, story maker, story writer, story writers, story writing, storymaker, storymakers, storyteller, storytellers, storytelling, the storyteller, traditional stories, traditional story, what is a story, write a story, writing a story, writing stories
A story is about problems. Up to this point, stories are set in motion by “flat-tire events.” A flat-tire event is some unexpected problem that you cannot ignore. You have to do something to solve the problem.
Flat-Tire Events Begin Hero’s Journey Stories
The “flat-tire event” is the foundation of hero journey stories. Something happens in the hero’s ordinary world that forces the hero on a journey to solve the problem. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories Tags: change life, change your life, create your own story, hero journey, hero’s journey., life changing story, life stories, life story, life transformation, make your own story, my life story, my own story, my story, personal narrative, personal transformation, story of my life, storyteller, storytelling, the power of story, the power to change, the storyteller, your story
Why do you need stories to change your life? Recently, someone asked me what I’m doing these days. I said that I’m writing about changing lives with stories. She responded with something like, “Oh, you mean reframing.” Actually, I don’t mean reframing. I really mean “stories.”
What Is Your Definition Of Story?
“Story” is an English word that has multiple meanings. Your definition of story is particularly significant in an era that is as cynical as ours, when the word “story” often refers to something you made up as an excuse for why you didn’t do something you promised to do. That is definitely not what I mean by “story.” Read more…
Categories: Life Stories Tags: change life, change your life, life changing story, life stories, life story, life transformation, make your own story, my life story, my own story, my story, personal narrative, personal transformation, power of story, power to change, story of my life, storytelling, success in life, the power of story, the power to change, your life your story, your story
If you want to change your life, the place to begin is by figuring out who you are in your life story.
The Hero Saves His Family
In one of my favorite movies, A Christmas Story
, young Ralphie wants an official “Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle” for Christmas.
We find out why Ralphie wants the air rifle in one of his fantasy sequences. Ralphie, dressed in full Hollywood cowboy regalia, saves his family from attack from the dreaded Black Bart and his gang. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories Tags: be a hero, bully, change life, change your life, Christmas story, life changing story, life stories, life story, life transformation, make your own story, my life story, my own story, my story, personal narrative, personal transformation, power of story, power to change, story of my life, storytelling, success in life, the power of story, the power to change, who are you, your life story, your story
The previous post Is Your Flat-Tire A Life Changing Story Event Or Just An Occurrence?, identified the difference between a “flat-tire event” and a “flat-tire” occurrence.
Another Flat Tire
Let’s consider the life changing potential of a “flat-tire event” with another imagined scenario about you and your flat tire. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories Tags: belief system, change life, change your life, life changing story, life stories, life story, life transformation, make your own story, my life story, my own story, my story, personal narrative, personal transformation, power of story, power to change, story of my life, storytelling, success in life, the power of story, the power to change, your life your story, your story
My last post, “How Your Flat-Tire Stories Change Your Life,” made the point that the story of your life is made up of your responses to your unexpected flat-tire events.
A Flat-Tire As A Metaphor
A “flat-tire” is a metaphor for some unexpected occurrence that intrudes into your ordinary life and forces you to respond somehow.
Our lives are filled with flat-tires. But is every flat-tire an event that triggers some sort of change in your life? It depends on whether your flat-tire is an occurrence or an event. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories Tags: belief system, change life, change your life, flat-tire, life changing story, life stories, life story, life transformation, make your own story, my life story, my own story, my story, personal narrative, personal transformation, power of story, power to change, story of my life, storytelling, success in life, the power of story, the power to change, your life your story, your story
Stories have power to change your life for the simple reason that stories are about life changes.
What makes a story a story? The one-word answer is “change.” Something changes and someone has to respond to the change.
Stories About How You Had To Change Your Life
Stories are about some sort of event that jolts you out of ordinary experience and forces you to do something different. Read more…
Categories: Life Stories Tags: belief system, change life, change your life, life changes life changing story, life stories, life story, life transformation, make your own story, my life story, my own story, my story, personal narrative, personal transformation, power of story, power to change, story of my life, storytelling, success in life, the power of story, the power to change, your life your story, your story
