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Theme 6: Stories of Persistence
Overarching Question: To what extent do stories of persistence, resilience, healing, or loss provoke and inspire?
Books
Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry by Joan Mcarthur-Blair; Jeanie Cockell- This link opens in a new window
The Story Factor by Annette Simmons
Fully revised, updated, and expanded, this modern classic will teach you to use the art of storytelling to persuade, motivate, and inspire in life and business Anyone seeking to influence others must first know their own story, and how to tell it properly. Whether you're proposing a risky new venture, trying to close a deal, or leading a charge against injustice, you have a story to tell. Tell it well and you will create a shared experience with your listeners that can have profound results. In this modern classic, Annette Simmons reminds us that the oldest tool of influence is also the most powerful. Fully revised and updated to account for new technology and social media, along with two new chapters on the role of stories in the development of civilization and how to adjust your story to your specific goal, Simmons showcases over a hundred examples of effective storytelling drawn from the front lines of business and government, as well as myths, fables, and parables from around the world. Whether writing a screenplay, or announcing a corporate reorganization, Simmons illustrates how story can be used in ways that cold facts, bullet points, and directives can't. These stories, combined with practical storytelling techniques, show anyone how to become a more effective communicator and achieve their goals.
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Bounce by Robert J. Wicks
Stress is a fact of modern life. And as more and more people face greater financial insecurity, longer work hours, and the increasingly complex personal and social demands of our fast-paced, multi-tasking, high-tech lifestyle, finding healthy ways to handle stress is more important than ever. In Bounce: Living the Resilient Life, Robert Wicks shows you not just how to manage stress, but how to transform stressful situations into opportunities to live a more meaningful, self-aware, and compassionate life. Wicks makes available to everyone techniques he has used for over 30 years in helping physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, educators, social workers, ministers, and relief workers not only survive but flourish in highly stressful occupations. You'll learn a wide range of methods--normally reserved for those in helping and healing professions--to help you bounce back from stress and live life to the fullest. Bounce shows you how to: BL Recognize the insidious nature of denial and avoidance as responses to stress BL Employ psychologically powerful approaches to self-awareness BL Improve self-talk through the use of cognitive behavioral principles BL Apply daily-debriefing techniques BL Utilize a structured reflection guide to uncover areas that require special attention BL Incorporate silence, solitude, and mindfulness into daily life BL Stop the drain of valuable emotional energy caused by toxic life situations and unexamined attitudes and beliefs BL And much more Most important, Bounce helps you develop your own self-care protocol and personal renewal program, based on an honest assessment of your needs, life situation, and habitual ways of dealing--or failing to deal--with stress. Insightful, practical, and filled with wise guidance, Bounce shows us all how to live with greater resilience in a world that grows more stressful by the day.
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