As Americans exploring London, Phil and I were mesmerized by its scenic beauty, beautiful culture and wonderful history. London is breathtaking from sunup to sundown, even if it was raining. It sets the mood for solving mysteries like Sherlock Holmes. So while we were there, we took the chance not just to explore, but also to ponder upon the importance of story-telling in our lives.
At some point, life will give you an epic backdrop, and when you’re in front of a camera, you’d want to have something to say. I get that all the time, people telling me how I always know what to say at any given moment. But the truth is, speaking doesn’t always come naturally for most of us. There will be times in our lives when we’re rendered speechless.
Sometimes, you’re scared to push record on the camera or do a live video because we don’t always know what to say. They don’t all go fantastically. Every once in a while you catch magic in a bottle, but you only catch magic in a bottle if you keep pushing play.
Why it pays to tell a good story
If you can tell a good story, you can promote a product. If you can tell a good story, you can get people to rally around a cause. If you can tell a good story, you can help more people with your service. I don’t care what it is, it all starts with a story, and becoming a good storyteller is why I’m in London today.
So I go around the world to talk to people and tell them how to tell better stories, so master your stories, master your life. It got me thinking while we were inside the Buckingham Palace. The flag is up, the Queen is here. And it’s just amazing to think of the family lineage, and about what that means. How does that apply to me as an American? We don’t have the same kind of monarchy.
What’s your story?
So we went exploring London a little bit more and I just checked off a bucket list item for me. Today, we’re talking about the Godfather of storytelling. I would love to hear from you. What’s your story? What’s that one that hasn’t told, that you think not good enough. One that’s embarrassing.
That story may not put you in the best light, but I have to tell you, the story that you’re hanging onto right now is the one that’s gonna impact people. The one that you’re not telling right now is the one that’s gonna create a cause that’s gonna serve the most people.
I remember trying to pass things out to people that didn’t want them. To do any little thing to make some extra money. And to fast forward from those days not being that long ago, to literally being in London and living a life of freedom, and tour the world because I learned how to tell a story.
If I tell you a story about me having to pass out flyers, or do coffee demonstrations, or anything else, it’s not so much that you have the exact same story that I have. It’s the fact that somewhere in my story you find yourself. And that’s why we connect.
We’re walking through Kensington Palace today and I’m gonna be honest. I have not suited up on all my British history, but going in and seeing photos of Diana was really humbling. Because it reminds me of how much impact one person can have, not just on their city, their country, the entire world.
Telling my story through vlogging
I caught up with Phil in our hotel room and had the chance to explore vlogging and storytelling. I’m so excited to finally be self-vlogging. So I’m gonna bring you so much great content all the time because I have my equipment here.
But Phil tells me all the wrong things that I’ve been doing. For one, it’s important to talk to the camera at eye-level. Phil teaches me all there is to know about vlogging more effectively and I’m excited to share them with you.
I later found myself outside of the Aldwych Theater in London. And I just finished seeing “Tina,” the musical. The powerful part of this story was seeing how she had to overcome and pick herself up again and again and again.
We saw her physically get beat down. Emotionally get beat down. You know, and make a choice to overcome. Make the choice to keep fighting. Make the choice to continue to show up and share her story over and over again, not only in this musical but in her career through song.
And I just have to continue to encourage you to do that. Keep telling your stories cause you never know who’s life you’re gonna change. Tell a story, change the world.