Why I did not Study Law in the best University

Little Johnny plays around and won’t want to study. You’ve advised him all the time but to no avail. You call him one day and begin to tell him a story about your life. 

Just a minute Johnny I want to tell you a story. Who doesn’t like story? He runs hard to come and hear what you have for him.

You start…. When I was exactly your age I was very intelligent but played a lot. As time went on, I dropped from position 1 to 30 in  class.

People that weren’t up to my position beat me countless times. It wasn’t my concern at that time until I was denied scholarship to study Law in the best universities in the world. Despite my playful attitude, I had dreamed of studying law in the best university when I grow older.

Well, we were just in class as usual on that fateful day. I never saw it coming. While I sneaked out to play with my peers, some group of visitors came to our school demanding for the best three students in our class.

Firstly I wasn’t there, secondly I wasn’t number 10 talk more of first three. Well, their names were given. Another opportunity was given to those present to test them on general knowledge…. This was the last straw that broke the camel’s bark. I wasn’t there either.

Those who passed the test together with the three best students were flown abroad immediately and today they are well placed in the society.

Do you know Peter the best mathematician in the world? He was in class that day… He was among the students that were chosen….. Have you heard of Mark Johnson the best Computer Engineer in the world? He was among the three best students in my class….

I was more intelligent than them but play took away my senses.  Their Practice gave my talent a technical knockout when my talent refused to work hard.

When I eventually came back to the class, I only heard stories of the good news and I felt so awful. I  missed a life time opportunity to study without a dime and in the best environment there was in the universe. My life would have been better… I wish I was given a second chance.

From then on I decided to stop my playful attitude and worked hard and that’s why you see me here today else I wouldn’t have been better than a street tout.

Do you know uncle Jacky? He says “yes…. The one at the motor park…” How about Tina? “I know her very well she is   a street girl”. Johnny replied me nodding his head… those were the people I mingled with until I realized myself. I would have been like them if I hadn’t changed my attitude.

He turns to Johnny “ Do you want your life to be like theirs?”  Quickly without thinking he says “no sir”.

Little Johnny will now be able to make a better decision because he has more information at his disposal. The story will ring continually in his heart until he decides to change. Whenever he thinks about becoming like one of those failures, he’ll readjust himself and say “no I’ve got to change”.

I remember when I was a little child. I loved stories. I enjoyed reading story books, so do every other kid. From stories we were able to think logically and decide properly because we could see the outcome from the beginning to the end. We were always asked to make contributions after a story is being told by telling the class the moral lessons we’ve learned from them.

Down the line  we became engaged in more complex activities that we now  read story books at leisure time or never but the inevitable fact still remains that all humans learned faster and make better decision when a story similar to their circumstance is being told.

One of the best approaches any leader ought to use is the art of storytelling. Your followers will be more encouraged, effective and goal oriented when you tell them a story along side with their routine instruction.  

Instead of parents scolding their kids all the time for not doing well, why not tell them a story similar to their condition rather than claiming to be an angel from heaven. This will help them know they’re not alone in the struggle. And they’ll be able to know the outcome of their decision. They’ll know you really understand how they feel.

This strategy doesn’t  only work for children it also work for adults. Even in church, before any minister prays for the sick he’lle first of all tell them a story in form of testimony about healings, miracles and signs and wonders. What is the essence of this? This is to boost their faith.

How do marketers sell their products? They go along side with testimonials about their products.   What will happen today if I were to sell a drug for  the cure of HIV/AIDS? At first sight you won’t believe me because different renown  scientists have proven that HIV/AIDS has no cure.

What if I changed my approach and came along with 100 people that once lived with HIV/AIDS that are now totally cured? What will you expect? The turnout will be very high? Why? A story is attached.

Storytelling gives people the opportunity to be the judge rather than you being the judge. People tend to listen more when you judge them less. How nice this method is…. You don’t even judge them. They’re the ones to judge.

When people judge themselves rather than being judged by others they quickly change their attitude for good. Your story did not attack them neither was it judging them. That means you won’t be blamed or criticized for telling them a story. You only open their eyes to see the outcome of their decision.

If you want to make great impact today, learn the art of storytelling.