From "Limiting Stories" to "Inspiring Stories"- My Journey

During the first half of my life, I often told limiting stories to myself.

During second half, I wish to share inspiring stories with the world.
 
As an Inspirational Storyteller, I assist deeply passionate entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs share stories (of themselves & their organisations) which inspire action, connect emotionally and build reputation. Let me share my journey from "limiting stories" to "inspiring stories" and some interesting stories from my life.
 
Childhood and Youth

I used to wear -6 spectacles in Class 1, and my doctor had told me to quit studying after Class 10th. But I loved books, research and writing. Life left me with no option but to prove the doctor's warning wrong.  

I continued my studies upto PhD and later ventured into online marketing & digital storytelling. The spirit of winning against odds became a part of my life thereafter. My parents supported me in my decisions and stood by me during the trials and tribulations. 

Regaining My Lost Creativity
Though I kept challenging my beliefs, yet I had unconsciously started telling myself "limiting stories". Except for continuing my education against medical advice, I was living an ordinary life. A major twist came, when I was introduced to the science of meditation. 

In the rat race, I had lost my creativity and began to regain it after a few years of consistent practice. What followed thereafter resulted in social media success and the discovery of a formula. 

(I have written my detailed story about how I regained my lost creativity and the role of chanting and Buddhism in the same)  

Finding My Direction
Social Media Success = Mindful Content + Passionate Engagement + Heartfelt Collaboration 

How I created this formula is an interesting story in itself and a very

important part of my professional journey. During self-reflection, I realized I had learnt three life lessons which helped me create this formula. During content creation and posting, sharing of our emotions and experiences often takes a priority and the audience becomes secondary. We need to find a balance between self expression and audience interests.

The first life lesson was that mindful, audience-centric content can only be generated with an uncluttered mind. It must add value to people’s lives by motivating, energizing or helping them resolve their current life challenges.
The second life lesson was that an uncluttered mind helps you to connect at a deeper level with yourself. Once you discover your deep passion, passionate engagement occurs naturally. Passionate engagement touches the hearts and lives of your audience and helps you form an emotional connect with them. 

The third lesson was that heartfelt collaboration comes through trust and collaborative efforts require risk taking and an attitude of win-win. Nothing succeeds like passion-inspired success and nothing fails like the failure of self-esteem. I had already experienced the latter part and began to move in the direction of the former.

Introversion and Extroversion-Finding a balance
My introversion also became a professional challenge in the field of marketing. Realising the fact that introversion could hamper my career, I learnt to be extrovert when the situation demanded so. I like meeting people but want to have in-depth interactions and serious conversations, rather than small talk. I decided to find a balance by moving towards extroversion. 

Unearthing My Life’s Purpose
What we unconsciously do is what we are born to do. As a child I was an unconscious storyteller. I loved the case study method while pursuing

management education, which is nothing but storytelling. I started my blog with an anecdote (short true story). As a teacher-trainer also, I had used stories frequently.

My first book was about the story of TV news in India. My second book has plenty of stories from my life and the lessons which they brought. At a conscious level, I had not realised that storytelling is the final piece in my life’s jigsaw. I had not realised that storytelling combines my passions (writing, inspiring), strengths (empathy, human psychology) and education/experience (marketing, branding) together.

And one fine day I realized the immense power of stories to inspire people, energize action, connect emotionally, build reputation and entertain us at the same time. Fortunately, brand storytelling (on social media) also provided me an opportunity to teach, coach and emotionally connect with people. Storytelling is full of depth and meaning and builds community. Now I feel like a consciously passionate storyteller. As Picasso said, ''The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away.'' What we are gifted with we will start doing unconsciously and effortlessly. After finding our gift, we must give it away. 

My life purpose is to support my clients in telling their own and organisations' stories. I love storytelling all the more because stories humanize our mechanical 

world. At the intersection of storytelling, branding and inspiration, 

I began to connect the dots backwards and understood how my education, jobs and life experiences have been conspiring together to lead me to this path.

May My Story Become Your Story Too!

Now I realize that my passion for inspirational storytelling was so very deep that 'The Secret' had begun to apply. 

The right people started coming and still do.The right mindset began to emerge from within.

Now I want people to see what I see. I want to connect at a deeper level. May you too unleash your creativity, gain clarity and find your life purpose. 

There comes one day when you connect the dots and understand the role of each character in your story. You find the significance behind every struggle and the role of every hero and anti-hero in your story.

The dots don't look like dots anymore,

as one tends to see the curve and deep meaning behind every crest and trough of life. You want to share your excitement with the world. And the eventful day on which you discover your life purpose, you begin to dance like a wave and the ripples begin to spread.

Namaste. May peace and joy be with you in 2016 and beyond!

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5 Years, 9 Angels-A Story
A Social Heart, A Business Mind
My Story in Hindi

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Brief Profile 

Dr Amit Nagpal, PhD is a Business Storyteller, Keynote Speaker and Digital Storytelling Coach. He is one of the pioneers of digital storytelling in India. After working for more than two decades in academics, and corporates (including publishing, television and digital marketing), he realised teaching is meditation and storytelling is Nirvana. 

He is also Chief Inspirational Storyteller at AL Services. AL Services has co-created stories of some of the most inspiring people in India and abroad. He tweets at @DrAmitInspires. To connect / follow on social media, visit about.me