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Every once in a while I get asked about my knowhow or interest of Kshamavani, a day of forgiving and seeking forgiveness for the followers of Jainism. It is a festival that celebrates forgiveness as a way to a life of love, peace harmony and happiness.
I first heard of Kshamavani during my early days in Jaipur. In college we had a significant Jain population. Consequently, my circle of acquaintance had both Digambaras as well as Śvētāmbaras. Therefore on Samvatsari, on Kshamavani and during days in between, I used to hear "Uttam Kshama" and "Michhami Dukkadam" a few times. In due course of time, I learnt more about these festivals - roots, significance, festivities. The more I learnt about it, the more I was drawn to that one aspect of this festival that I could relate to - it promotes you to seek and give forgiveness thereby keep moving forward instead of getting stuck.
It's 2023 and today is Kshamavani. I must admit that I am looking forward to hearing from some of my friends. However it is also a day when I put together my thoughts and reach out to seek forgiveness from others as well as myself. This does sound serious, isn't it? It is. But I must say that there is no harm in adding a bit of humour and a whole lot laughter while doing what needs to be done. It is a festival after all.
Peter Drury (L) and Harsha Bhogle (R) | Twitter / @bhogleharsha
Recently the two titans of the world of sports broadcasting met. It was an event in itself - there was excitement in the fandom before they met and the meeting itself was discussed, analyzed and reported like any other big ticket event. It was a meeting of two highly regarded storytellers who excelled at sports broadcasting through their love of the respective sport rather than their experience of playing the game.
Storytelling is an art practised by everybody in the universe in their own way and their own capacity. It is a vital part of our daily communication. At times it is boring and banal while there are times when it connects with the audience and moves them. At times it is the story, most of the times it is the storytellers, those who have excelled at this art, that make the difference. Peter Drury's "CR7 Reunited" still resonates in my ears and probably in the ears of all those football fans who were excited and glued to see Cristiano Ronaldo back in the red and white.
Sachin Tendulkar and the cricket lovers saying farewell to each other was an emotional story, true. However, with "Goodbye great man", Harsha Bhogle brought the emotions of millions of the fans to the fore.
Personable, authentic and vulnerable - great storytellers make you feel the stories as if you are a part of it.
This is not just true of sports. Common households, classrooms, corporate or markets - wherever there are people, there are stories. Talking about the amazing places we saw on our vacation and plans for the next vacation, talking about how our day at office was perhaps a good, bad or regular one, thinking about what I should be doing this weekend - all of us are constantly making stories and telling them through expressions and languages across different platforms including social media. Some of these stories are like flash in the pan while others last a lifetime and beyond - however both potentially shape the collective sensemaking.
If you look at corporate storytelling, stories are used to persuade consumer base and to convey essential messages in an easy way. Stories are essentially bringing brands to life and enabling brands to sell more through customer referrals and experiences. A study conducted by Headstream tells us that customers who love a brand story are 55% more likely to buy their product. Also, 44% are more likely to share the story with others. At the core of every great story is conflict and corporates exercise effecting storytelling to demonstrate how a product or service can help consumers resolve a conflict and improve the conditions in their lives.
I gravitate towards Narrative psychology. It "operates under the assumption that human activity and experience are filled with "meaning" and stories, rather than lawful formulations". I am one of those who agrees with Castle on "... there is always a story". A five year old smiling at me and showing mixed emotions when I meet for the first time, a niece, whom I saw growing up, telling stories of her first job and her new colleagues, a friend sharing experience of her latest vacation, a buddy sharing some distressing moments of the life - I come across several intriguing stories in my regular, mundane life. These storytellers aren't always eloquent, but their stories are great and touch my life in different ways. I believe, it is the same for almost everyone in this world. And then come the likes of Bhogle, Drury, Croft, Harlan and Cozier, they literally make you live and breathe the stories they tell.
I try to share my stories in my way and to propagate some of the ones I come across, as is. Generally, these stories come from experiences - from solitude, from work and from people engagements. There is hope that one day, someday, I'll find the right alchemy to tell a great story and perhaps move people. I am also keen on listening and understanding the stories being told by others, stories of various kinds and magnitudes, stories as articulation of the life experiences. Do you have a story to tell?
