Deep Life Reflections: Friday Five
Issue 5 - Storyworthy
Hello and welcome to the fifth edition of my new weekly email newsletter, Deep Life Reflections: Friday Five.
Each Friday, I share five things I’m enjoying, thinking about, and find interesting, which you might also find useful.
A quick note that I’m building an archives section on my website so you can access previous issues of the newsletter. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, here’s my Friday Five this week.
1. What I’m Reading
Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks.
A great little book about the power of storytelling and how it can help us create a deeper connection with others, and with ourselves. Matthew Dicks is an award-winning storyteller and bestselling novelist who shows how to tell a great story through three clear steps: Find it; Craft it; and Tell it (great summary visual by Zsolt’s Blog). He also shares examples of his own brilliant stories, revealing his craft and approach. Take ten minutes this weekend to watch his beautiful and touching story, This is Going to Suck.
One message in the book stood out: that all great stories tell the story of a five-second moment in a person’s life. These five-second moments are the moments in your life when something fundamentally changes forever. You discover something new about yourself. You fall in love. You fall out of love. You choose a new path. You sink into despair. You find forgiveness. You accomplish something incredible. You fail spectacularly. These are the moments that make great stories and they are often small, sudden, and powerful. This book helps you find them so you can better tell your story. Because we all have a story to tell.
2. What I’m Watching
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Directed by Steven Spielberg.
This is one of my all-time favourite films, a classic action-adventure in homage to the old serials of the 1930s. Like many, the film is a big part of my childhood. Spielberg is an amazing storyteller and just as Matthew Dicks highlighted, the film boils down to a single five-second moment. But it’s not that obvious. It’s not the good versus evil battle for the Ark of the Covenant, or even the love story between Indy and Marion after a decade apart. Instead, that five-second moment—that powerful moment when something fundamentally changes—is when Indiana Jones finds his faith. Hear me out.
Throughout the film we see Indiana Jones as a sceptic of the powers of the Ark, treating it more as a search of archeological importance. He’s a man of science and reason. But at the climax of the film, as he and Marion are captured and tied together watching the Ark being opened by the Nazis, he has a powerful moment of realisation. He senses something otherworldly about the Ark, something science can’t explain.
“Marion, don't look at it. Shut your eyes, Marion. Don't look at it, no matter what happens!”
I never realised the significance of that line before. The character has grown. I love finding a new perspective to something I thought I knew so well. The genius of Spielberg and his storytelling.
3. What I’m Contemplating
I added a new activity to my journal recently. It’s called ‘Homework for life’ (a suggestion from Storyworthy). At the end of every day, I take a moment and reflect on my day, finding my most storyworthy moment, even if it doesn’t feel particularly storyworthy. Then I write it down. This is hard. Most are not storyworthy. A few have promise however, and I have them captured now. I’m also pulling more storyworthy moments from my past. As someone who writes, coaches, and mentors, I want to improve my storytelling. This is a great exercise to build that skill.
An example of one of my better entries:
Friday, February 24: Launched my new weekly email newsletter, Deep Life Reflections. From idea to launch took less than two weeks. I recognised it didn’t have to be perfect. 95% is good enough. Just get it out and improve from there. In the past I would have procrastinated over the final 5%, trying to make it perfect. I didn’t wait for perfection.
4. A Quote to note
“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it.”
Margaret Atwood
5. A Question for you
Can you identify at least one five-second moment in your life when something fundamentally changed forever? That might spark more. Capture them and next time you’re relaxing with a close friend, share your story. Ask for their five-second moment. Every one of us has a story to tell.
If you enjoyed what you read, consider sharing this newsletter with others. Here’s where they can subscribe. And don’t forget to check out my website, Deep Life Journey, for full content on my Pillars, Perspectives & Photography.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.
James
Art credit: Cover art by Victoria Shatilova