I just went to STAN/Tedx this past weekend (Society, technology, art and Nature) put on by Stanford University. Once again I wasn’t surprised that the presenters who most moved me and others were the ones who told stories and stirred emotions. Jennifer Aaker, a Stanford professor, urged us to swab our cheeks to donate bone marrow. This could’ve been a dull speech on the importance of donating, listing statistic after statistic that would seemingly compel people to at least THINK about swabbing our cheek. 

Instead, Jennifer told a love story. A story about a man who had cancer and because he was a minority, did not have a donor match. His friend, determined to find a match, used social networking to make people aware and take action, ensuring the perfect match between his friend and a donor.

It reminded me once again of the importance of storytelling—not just because people like stories but because it stirs something inside of us so big that we can’t help but take action.

I swabbed both cheeks and became a donor.

What are your stories? How do we create stories around the every day lessons?

Check out the story here:

http://www.slideshare.net/DragonflyEffect/creating-infectious-action-innovation-uncensored

then, I came home, only to watch another Ted video about the importance of smiling…my emotions stirred again in a different way. 

smile and we can live longer…

http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_gutman_the_hidden_power_of_smiling.html