Guest Author: Michael Thomas
Michael Hanley: “Mike Thomas is the C.O.O. of Shoreline Records Management and a HubSpot Certified Pro. He is my go-to guy whenever I have a question about technology, the web, or internet marketing. Mike is one of the creative minds behind BrokerMOJO and if you do not know me personally, there is a good chance that he is responsible for you finding MichaelTHanley.com and reading this post today.”
The Value of the Story
I read a lot of books. Well, if I’m being completely Honest, I read a fair amount of books, but when you combine the ones I read with the number of Audiobooks I listen to, I probably average 3-4 Books per week.
Most of the time, they’re the latest Sales and Marketing Advice, or Books about Technology and the psychology of change and success. But a few months back Chris Brogan recommended a book that sat outside the bounds of my normal reading list. I made note of it because Chris was so passionate in his review.
I figured if it had such a profound impact on someone I respect and relate to as Chris Brogan, then it should be worth a read. But then I forgot about it and moved on to reading Tony Hsieh’s “Delivering Happiness,” and a bunch of other books about Sales and Marketing.
Then the other day, knowing that I had a long day of driving ahead of me, I decided to go ahead and download the audio book version of “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life
It’s about Story.
I started listening to the book around 7 AM on a beautiful Thursday morning, as I drove on the Long Island Expressway. I quickly realized that this book had nothing to do with sales, marketing, or technology. No, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” is a book about story. But it’s not so much a story about stories, but a deeper, more real explanation of why Story is the key to leading a fulfilling and rewarding life.
The author, Don Miller, is a writer. He’s written a number of critically acclaimed books, and although I hadn’t heard of him previously, he has a passionate community of fans that love the work he does. Mostly, before A.M.M.I.A.T.Y. (ah-ME-YA-TE?), Miller’s books focused on Christian Faith and Growing up without a Father. But this book was different.
It’s a story told in real time about a man (Miller) who is recognizing that his life is not about what he thinks, his Ideals or opinions. He’s coming to the realization that while his life experiences have made some pretty good books, his life wouldn’t make nearly the same impact if it was made into a movie. That’s because in a Movie, no one knows what you think. They only know what you DO.
Without going too deep into the reasons why Don comes to this realization, it’s an amazingly powerful concept for everyone to acknowledge. Life is not about what you Think or What you Feel. Life is about what you do. It’s about the experience and the connections. Life is about living stories that help build your character and each small story, each day that you do something big or small, helps build the narrative of your life. It’s some pretty deep and impactful stuff.
It is what you DO that makes your story.
What are you DOING to make your story better?
