Pinktober – A Month of Breast Cancer Awareness
By Lisha Ross
Each October a very special thing happens. The streets are colored pink as girls, women and the gentlemen who love them band together in the battle against breast cancer. Yes, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is afoot, and it’s time to take action to assist the nearly 1.3 million people, both women and men, that are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 1600 Nevada women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually and 300 of those victims will die from it. But with knowledge comes hope and help!
Know Your Risk
On an individual level, the battle against breast cancer begins with knowing your personal risk factors. Frightening but true, EVERY body is at risk, though some are at higher risk than others. According to American Cancer Society (ACS) statistics, risk factors include:
Gender: Though men are not immune to the disease, women are 100 times more likely to acquire it. This is due to the fact that female breast cells are continually exposed to growth promoting hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone.
Age: The risk of getting breast cancer increases with age. From 2002 to 2006, 2 out of 3 diagnosed cases of invasive breast cancer occurred in women older than 55, but the fact that 1 out of every 8 occurred in women under 45 is a strong case for preventative measures and screening even for younger women.
Genetics and Family History: Inherited gene mutations account for approximately 5-10% of breast cancer cases, and 20-30% of women with breast cancer have a family member with the disease.
Race and Ethnicity: Caucasians have a slightly higher risk than African Americans. Those of Asian, Hispanic and Native American heritage have lower risks.
Many other factors, including dense breast tissue, recent oral contraceptive use, no children or having them later in life and use of post-menopausal hormone therapy make up your personal risk factor. Of course, having one or several risk factors does not mean you are destined to be afflicted with breast cancer, but knowing what they are is essential in defining an individualized screening program. Dig into your family’s medical history about three generations back by talking to your siblings, mother, grandmother, etc. If you have no living relatives to ask, try accessing death certificates, obituaries and medical records. Collecting and sharing this information with your doctor will help them determine at what age you should start regular mammograms, and if it is necessary to have additional or more frequent check-ups.
Early Pink Bird Special
Quite simply, screening and early detection saves lives. Survival rates have vastly improved in the last 20 years, which the ACS attributes in part to early detection by mammogram screening as well as improvements in treatment.
Mammograms
We’ve all heard horror stories about the infamous mammo; the squeezing of our delicate breasts between two cold plates, the radiation, the occasional false positive that leads to unnecessary biopsies and expenses. But the chance of discovering cancer before symptoms manifest far outweighs the negatives of what some might compare to a medieval torture device. In fact, research shows that when breast cancer is diagnosed in an early stage, the 5-year survival rate is 98%, so the ACS recommends women over 40 get a mammogram every year. For years, mammograms (x-rays of the breast) have been the most effective method of detection. New digital mammography technology is making it even more so.
Digital mammograms replace traditional x-ray film with solid-state detectors that convert x-rays into electrical signals. Much like photos from a digital camera, the images can be viewed on a computer monitor. A radiologist can then adjust the contrast and magnify sections, making it easier to see subtle differences between tissues. This is particularly helpful when it comes to dense breast tissue, as this tissue and malignant cells both appear white on a traditional film mammogram. “This enhanced technology allows us to take breast cancer detection to a higher level,” said William Moore, Chief Executive Officer at Desert Radiologists. “As a result, we will be able to detect breast cancer earlier, allowing for better treatment options for the patient.” Additional benefits of digital mammography include lower levels of radiation exposure and shorter examination times. Visit www.deserttrad.com for more information.
Clinical Exams & Self Exams
All women are different, as are their breasts. Big, small, dense, light. What’s important is that each woman knows what is normal for her and what isn’t. To increase breast self-awareness, the ACS recommends women start giving themselves monthly exams in their 20s. It is by no means a replacement for professional screening, but will help you identify abnormalities. A breast self exam is a systematic method of inspecting every part of the breast for unusual lumps or growths. You can find step-by-step instructions for this on the ACS website (www.cancer.org), or you can ask your OB/GYN to teach you and then examine your technique. Set up a regular time of month for this self-nurturing practice. A few days after menstruation is ideal, as tenderness should subside by then. If you don’t menstruate, then select a random day, whether it’s on the first day of the month or payday. Abnormalities, including a hard lump or knot near the underarm, changes in the way they look or feel, dimples, puckers, bulges or ridges, redness, swelling or pain, sores, discharge from the nipple, etc., should be reported to your doctor immediately.
It’s also recommended that women between 20 and 40, have a clinical breast exam as part of a regular exam by a health professional at least every 3 years. A clinical breast exam is just like a self-exam; it’s just done by someone who knows exactly what they’re looking for. Should the need arise, your doctor may additionally order magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasounds or biopsies of suspicious tissue.
Care & Support
Being diagnosed is a frightening prospect for anyone, but there are many local places that offer support and healing, both physically and spiritually. The Caring Place is a nonprofit organization with a mission to support, educate and empower individuals and families during their journeys with cancer to enhance the quality of their lives. They provide no-cost programs and services designed to complement conventional cancer treatments. Programs include yoga, meditation, jewelry making, knitting, Native American flute circle, support groups, guided imagery, Reiki circles, art therapy, massage and Chi Kung. They can be reached at 871-7333 or www.thecaringplacenv.org.
The Center for Compassionate Care, the counseling arm of Nathan Adelson Hospice, also seeks to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families. They offer low or no-cost community counseling to couples, families, children and teens affected by issues of grief, loss and life threatening illnesses. Their breast cancer support services are funded through the Southern Nevada affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Contact them at 796-3167 or visit www.nah.org.
Check out Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s website at www.komensouthernnevada.org for a list of October activities where you can get involved. Volunteer your time or donate a little cash. Everything helps! Just grab your pink ribbons, put on your Save the Ta-Tas® sweatshirts and tees and join the fight. We may not see the end of breast cancer in our lifetime, but together we can provide help, support and love to thousands of women in need.
Additional resources for emotional support, cutting edge diagnostics and treatment:
Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada Breast Surgery Division
952-3400
The Breast Center at Sunrise
www.sunrisehospital.com
784-7870
3006 S. Maryland Pkwy.
Barbara Greenspun Women’s Care Center
616-4900
Henderson: 100 N. Green Valley Pkwy., Ste. 330
Las Vegas: 7220 S. Cimarron Rd., Ste. 195
Pounds vs. Progress – Breaking Free from Scale Tyranny
By Michelle Vessel
You’re locked in an intense battle of the bulge. For the last few days, you’ve been a model dieter, keeping portion sizes in check, steering clear of junk foods, sweets and extra snacks. You’ve hit the gym every day, too, working out hard and pushing yourself to the limit. Now you’re ready to find out whether your efforts have paid off. You excitedly clamber up on the bathroom scale, but to your chagrin, the display indicates that you’ve somehow managed to gain four pounds. Dissolving into frustration, you drown your sorrows in a pint of mocha nut fudge ice cream. Nothing you do seems to matter anyway, so why even bother reining it in, right?
This kind of setback is all too familiar for millions of people fighting the good fight to lose weight. We’ve been conditioned to believe that a shrinking number on the scale is the ultimate validation of our weight loss efforts, and when the scale doesn’t reflect the kind of positive results we’re looking for, the effects can be devastating. Indeed, it’s likely that many a New Year’s resolution or newly minted fitness regimen has been torpedoed by a scale that stubbornly refuses to budge. It doesn’t have to be this way.
An Unreliable Benchmark
Let’s step back and consider the big picture. What are we really trying to accomplish when we say we’re trying to lose weight? In most cases, we’re actually trying to shed excess fat, and if our goal is to look better in our clothes and feel more confident in our own skin, gaining muscle tone should be part of the program, too. Unfortunately, most of us mistakenly believe the scale is the best way to gauge our success or failure. The problem is that scales only provide a one-dimensional snapshot of our total weight in pounds that includes everything: fat, muscle, bones, skin, hair, clothes, shoes, even the half-gallon of iced tea you downed over the course of the day.
What dieters should keep in mind is that human body weight is a constantly moving target. Even when you’re not actively trying to shed pounds, it’s not unusual for your weight to fluctuate up and down between five to seven pounds within a 24-hour period. Here are just a few of the factors that can cause your “scale weight” to change.
- Water weight. If you’re consuming anywhere close to the 100 or so ounces of water that most health experts say we should drink each day, that’s the equivalent of nearly seven pounds of weight that could be skewing the number on your bathroom scale, according to researcher Michael Boschmann, M.D., who has studied the weight-loss effects of hydration.
- Hormonal shifts. These chemical compounds regulate the function of organs and systems in the body, but they can also prompt shifts in weight and water retention, especially in women. In fact, according to Robert Berkowitz, M.D., medical director of the University of Pennsylvania Weight and Eating Disorders Program, many women experience an uptick of three to five pounds the week before menstruation due to hormonally induced bloating and water retention.
- Muscle and fat. When you’re engaging in regular exercise, it’s likely that you are increasing your muscle mass and losing fat at the same time. To a typical bathroom scale, however, there’s no difference between the two, so a gain of five pounds of muscle and a loss of five pounds of fat will show up as no change on the scale, which many frustrated dieters see as a sign that they’ve made no progress whatsoever.
The bottom line is if you’re making an honest effort to slim down and shape up, your scale probably isn’t the best way to gauge your progress. In fact, it could be hindering your ability to develop a healthier relationship to your body.
Better Benchmarks
So if the typical bathroom scale isn’t the best way to chart your journey to a trimmer physique and better health, how will you be able to tell if you’re stuck, moving forward or losing ground? There are dozens of accurate and motivating methods out there; choose one that resonates with you or develop your own unique approach using a combination of these basic techniques.
Track Your Measurements
Virtually every fitness expert worth his or her salt swears by the tape measure rather than the bathroom scale as the most accurate measure of weight loss progress. Many dieters who think their weight loss efforts are stalled may be shocked to find out that they’re dropping inches like crazy, even when the scale hasn’t budged for weeks or even months at a time. All you need to use this method is a basic tape measure and a notebook or spreadsheet. Most weight-loss gurus recommend checking your stats once a week at the widest point of the neck, upper arm, bust, waist, hips and thighs.
Highlight Healthy Habits, Not the Outcome
Experts say that when it comes to slimming down, the process of establishing healthy habits is often more than half the battle. If you’re just starting out or are stuck because you’re fed up with a seeming lack of progress, try taking the focus off your results for a while and concentrate on cultivating healthy habits. Track your food intake and daily exercise regimen, but hold off on weighing yourself or otherwise charting your progress for a few weeks. If you’re really intent on creating long-term, lifestyle habits that you’ll stick to no matter what your circumstances happen to be at any given time, it’s probably best to dissociate your efforts from a short-term goal like dropping a few pounds.
Use Clothing Sizes to Track Your Progress
Within just a few weeks of eating healthier food and exercising more often, you’ll probably start to notice that your clothes are fitting you better. Some dieters take this a step further by using a pair of “dream jeans” or a favorite dress or outfit to try on once a week or so as a way of keeping track of weight loss progress. Visiting your favorite boutique to see if you can squeeze into the next smaller size can be a great motivational tool. Be sure you’re using a garment that you actually have a chance of fitting into eventually as your benchmark; trying to squeeze into a pair of skinny jeans from the junior’s department may do more harm than good.
Set Externally Focused Goals
Another way to overcome your dependence on the scale is to frame your health journey around a specific fitness goal like running in a 5K race, completing a challenging hike or finishing a killer workout class at your gym without collapsing into a puddle of tears, then set up a rigorous training plan that will get you there. Better yet, consider competing in an athletic event that benefits charity. When you turn your energy outwards and focus on helping others, the frustration you’ve faced in your struggle to slim down will start to fade into the background–where it belongs.
Weight loss doesn’t have to be a mind-numbing numbers game. Remember that most scales aren’t sophisticated enough to measure the real progress you’re making with all of your hard work and willpower. Instead of letting the number on the scale tell you how you should feel about yourself, define and celebrate success on your own terms, according to metrics and milestones that make sense to you.
When the Travel Bug Bites…Staying Healthy on Vacation
By Patricia A. Guth
Being sick is never fun, but when you or a loved one becomes ill while traveling, it’s a real downer. Not only does it ruin your vacation, but it also prompts concerns about healthcare services away from home, especially when traveling in a foreign country where the care may be less than exemplary.
In recent years, episodes like the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak and the H1N1 epidemic have indeed made travelers more aware of the potential for picking up germs that might be hitchhiking on planes, in rental cars, aboard public transportation, or anywhere frequented by large numbers of people, both within the U.S. and abroad. As a result, travelers haven’t stopped traveling. They’ve just become more diligent about preserving their good health.
It’s the Other Guy’s Fault
A 2007 survey conducted by World Access, a travel insurance company, reported that about 35 percent of all business travelers interviewed for their study noted that they or a co-worker had become seriously ill while traveling. The numbers are slightly lower for leisure travelers but still fairly significant. The biggest culprit? Others who travel when sick, eager to stick to their vacation plans or to salvage that important business meeting despite not feeling well at the time of their departure.
Indeed, the SARS outbreak of 2003 began when several individuals infected with the virus boarded a plane without regard for their condition, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to eventually issue an emergency travel advisory. Similar advisories were made during the H1N1 scare.
And rightfully so. The most dangerous time of year to board a crowded plane, physicians stress, is during peak cold and flu season. It’s at that time of the year that people eager to escape the winter doldrums are most likely to travel when sick, putting others at high risk for the same.
They’re Everywhere!
Travel-related germs are no different than those one might encounter at home, but a study by the Journal of Environmental Health Research notes that you are 100 times more likely to catch a cold on a plane than you are while performing your normal daily routine. The main reason, the study noted, is the low humidity in the cabin. It causes the body’s natural defense system–the mucus in the nose and throat–to dry up and become a better host for germs. Hence, staying hydrated is one of keys to avoiding such germs.
As might be expected, toilets are of huge concern while traveling, including the ones on your plane, bus, train or even in your hotel room. Dr. Charles P. Gerba, who has made it his business to study germs, notes, however, that the seats of the toilet aren’t the only concern. Toilet flushing ejects contaminated water into the air and onto everything around it. So, public toilets, which might be flushed hundreds of times per day, are nothing short of evil when it comes to the spread of germs. Avoid them when possible, but when using one is a necessity, spend as little time there as necessary and keep objects away from the spray.
But toilets are certainly just the tip of the iceberg, Gerba says, and he believes there are even worse places for germ breeding. Trains and subways, for example, can be as big a menace. And think about that remote control in your hotel room or, worse yet, the blankets and pillows that have been used by innumerable guests! Or how about your rental car? Even surfaces in museums, aquariums, or other seemingly harmless attractions can harbor germs, simply because thousands of people pass through these tourist destinations on a daily basis, especially during peak vacation season.
Germ Warfare
Despite obvious risks, some travelers, faced with the potential of a week away from the hubbub of work and the stressors of everyday life, tend to throw caution to the wind while on vacation. All good habits go out the window, but the germs and other health concerns remain. It’s this abandoning of a good health regimen that gets vacationers in trouble. Here are a few simple ways travelers can cut down on the risk of getting sick and ruining a long-planned vacation.
- Wash your hands and keep them away from your face. We’ve all heard it ad nauseum, but it’s by far the most effective way of reducing germs. Wash your hands several times a day with warm water and soap, especially after being in a crowded public area, and avoid touching your face before your hands are clean. Liquid sanitizers are a reasonable substitute when no water is available.
- Learn to use a public restroom properly. It’s a good idea to use your foot to flush the toilet and to use a paper towel when turning the water on and off or opening the restroom door when exiting.
- Carry sanitizing wipes. If you’re worried about things like shopping cart handles or other surfaces touched frequently by others, wipe them off before use.
- Eat well. Just because you’re on vacation, it doesn’t mean you need to abandon all your healthy habits. Take a multi-vitamin each day, keep alcohol consumption to a minimum, and if you’re traveling domestically or in Western or Northern Europe, Japan, Australia or New Zealand, fill up on fruits and vegetables. (However, consuming fresh produce is a no-no in most developing countries.)
- Drink bottled water. Keep bottled water with you and drink it throughout the day. Avoid tap water when traveling to foreign locations. Experts note that traveler’s diarrhea, usually caused by impure water, affects some 50 percent of international travelers to some degree.
- Get enough sleep. As with eating, sleeping habits often change while on vacation and many people stay up late and sleep less. However, tired people have weakened immune systems and a greater chance of getting sick, so be sure to grab enough ZZZs.
- Stay active. Take advantage of the hotel fitness center, walk when you can, and find time to be out in the sunshine. Exercise and a good dose of sun can help enhance your immune system as well.
- Be informed. If you’re traveling abroad, be aware of any health warnings associated with each country you plan to visit, including info such as what’s safe to eat and where you can swim without getting sick. Websites such as www.travel.state.gov, www.cdc.gov and www.who.int/en/ provide general and country-specific health and safety info.
Don’t Let Germs Get You Down
Though there is indeed growing general concern about getting sick on the road, the potential for picking up germs on vacation is just a fact of life, the CDC’s Kozarsky notes. Despite these ever-present bacteria, most doctors agree that those who approach vacation with a “let’s stay healthy” attitude and practice germ prevention tips should emerge from their excursions relatively unscathed. Happy traveling!
The Diet of Leonardo Da Vinci : Secrets for Eating Your Way to Genius
By: Heather Shanks
Imagine a colleague who effortlessly draws up the perfect storyboard for a critical ad campaign, then gives a flawless profit and loss presentation at a press conference. After that, he heads off to teach a course on the latest in string theory. To top off the day, he leads a book club discussion on the nuances of Thoreau, all while exuding charm, fitness and impeccable taste. Could such a person be real? Yes, indeed. Change a few details and that colleague would be the eminent Leonardo da Vinci, renowned Renaissance artist, scientist, sculptor and mathematician. Impressive by any standards, his giant mind produced a legacy that captivates us even today.
The real question is, can we all be so inclined toward the sort of enigmatic ability and creative genius that Da Vinci seemed to possess in spades? In his book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: 7 Steps to Genius Every Day, author Micheal J. Gelb gives us insight into the personal habits of the man, the myth, the legend, driven by his fascination with the mind-body connection. Da Vinci knew that the mind cannot function in isolation, and that the foundation for a strong mind is a healthy body. Breakthroughs in neuroscience affirm Da Vinci”s timeless wisdom; what you eat has a profound influence on brain function in areas such as memory, learning, creativity and problem-solving. While genius can”t be packaged, by making small changes to our daily routine, we may be able to use these habits as a template to stir up our own inner genius.
Habit 1: Eat in Moderation
A period known for extravagance, the Renaissance also placed significant value on balance. Many great minds of that time, including Da Vinci, sought balance in knowledge, in work and play, even in eating. Overeating and undereating each create a state of imbalance in the body which can be avoided by moderation.
Why it Still Makes Sense
Research is solid on the damaging long-term effects of overeating on the body and the mind. Less familiar, though, are its effects on day-to-day performance. Eating too much in one sitting causes increased blood flow to the stomach, in turn reducing blood flow and, therefore, oxygen and nutrients to the brain. A reduction in the brain’s oxygen supply results in mental nuisances such as fatigue and fuzzy thinking.
How to Do it Today
Listening to your body’s feedback is key to finding balance at mealtime. Instead of rushing through your meal, eat slowly and chew each bite carefully. Giving your food time to reach your stomach allows your body to register satiety. Make sure that you don”t eat beyond your hunger level, which will leave you uncomfortable and sluggish.
Habit 2: Enjoy the Experience
How many times this week have you ‘dined’ either in the car or at your desk between meetings? Do you remember whether you even liked the food? If not, a lesson from Leonardo is in order. He reveled in the experience of feeding his body, and he used that experience to give his mind a delightful respite from concentrated thought, resulting in bursts of inspiration and creativity.
Why it Still Makes Sense
Experiential dining stimulates your creative side and gives your mind aesthetic pleasure. The sight of a perfectly red tomato against a stark white plate, the sound of the crisp crunch of the carrot, the aroma of sautéed garlic and olive oil; each is a feast for your palate and your mind. Not only will the food stimulate your senses, but Eating the Moment author and psychologist Pavel Somov says that eating mindfully also reduces stress.
How to Do it Today
Eat in front of a real table instead of a television. Set the table with attractive dishes. Add fresh flowers, a candle and your favorite music. If you have company, laugh often and enjoy your conversation. If you are alone, relish the solitude. Experience the meal with all of your senses: sight, smell, taste, touch and feel.
Habit 3: Eat Fresh, Natural Foods
Da Vinci recognized the close association between nature and humanity. What you eat does, in some sense, become a part of who you are. Although Leonardo was a vegetarian, you can incorporate this principle without giving up the foods you love. The key is to concentrate on eating fresh foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.
Why it Still Makes Sense
Your energy levels and zest for life are tied closely to the quality of the foods you eat. The Society for Neuroscience recently released a report showing that brain pleasure centers become progressively less responsive in rats fed a diet of high-fat, high-calorie food. Consistently eating nutritionally-empty foods not only promotes disease, it also steals your ability to experience enjoyment.
How to Do it Today
Next time you shop for food, take a few minutes to examine the ingredient list on each item. If the product has a long, unfamiliar ingredient list, put it back! Chemicals and foreign additives in food force your body to work harder for fewer nutrients. Instead, choose cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, shown to aid in preventing cancer, or vitamin C rich mangoes to boost your immune system.
Habit 4: Minimize Sugars
Balance in the diet brings calm to the mind. Relying on his own true and untainted experience to guide his work, Da Vinci strove to keep his mind clear and unaffected. Short term sugar highs resulting in mid-afternoon energy slumps would have stood in the way of the Maestro”s genius.
Why it Still Makes Sense
We all need some sugar intake to function properly. Too much sugar, however, stands in the way of optimal brain function. Scientists at Georgia State”s Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology have discovered a link between consumption of fructose and diminished memory function.
How to Do it Today
Keep your meals simple and unprocessed. A good rule of thumb is to fill the bulk of your plate with veggies and fruits, then add some lean protein. Use breads, pastas and desserts as add-ons rather than the main course. Experts also recommend that you avoid large amounts of pasta, white bread and sugary snacks before any important mental tasks.
Habit 5: Drink Water
Leonardo’s journals illustrate his fascination with accurately representing water and waves. He recognized water’s elemental connection to life on earth.
Why it Still Makes Sense
Science bears this out. Next to air, water is the critical element for proper brain utility. A 2003 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that mild dehydration impairs cognitive function. Solid mental acuity relies on consistent and adequate fluid intake.
How to Do it Today
As you go about your day, keep a bottle of water with you. Water is best absorbed when consumed slowly, so sip it throughout the day. Tackle two Da Vinci Diet habits at once by adding some lemon slices or lime wedges for flavor and sensory stimulation!
Genius isn’t reserved for the Da Vinci’s of the world. By incorporating Leonardo’s research-backed health habits, you can harness the power of connectedness and use your body to feed your mind. Make a commitment to yourself to use the Maestro’s timeless wisdom, so the next time you need to dig deep for a creative idea or an impressive solution, you’ll be prepared.
Once Upon a Time
The Art of Telling Interesting Stories
By Michelle Vessel
You’re laughing it up at a cocktail party with a group of old friends and new acquaintances. Suddenly, there’s a lull in the conversation, and you decide to launch into a hilarious anecdote about something that happened to you a few days ago. You backtrack to provide some context for your story, and before you know it, you’ve veered wildly off-track and begin to blank on the details of what it was you wanted to say in the first place. As you stutter and stall, eyes are glazing over, snarky looks are being exchanged, and you even catch a glimpse of a muffled yawn or two. Before long, a few ladies excuse themselves to freshen their drinks. Within seconds, the others have followed suit, leaving you alone and feeling like a social reject that doesn’t deserve to have friends.
Don’t take it personally. You simply suffer from an all-too-common affliction; you’re just not a naturally gifted storyteller. Although some people seemingly tell great stories from the time they can speak, communication experts say that crafting a great tale is actually a learned set of skills that, when practiced and perfected over time, will come in handy much more often than you might expect. By harnessing the age-old power of storytelling, you can get a leg up in situations ranging from getting the word out about your new business to breaking the ice on an awkward first date.
Touting the Telling
If you think about it, virtually every type of communication we engage in can be improved just by adding a touch of storytelling flair. When it comes to trying to land a new job, career coaches advise jobseekers to distill their qualifications and professional experience into a 30-second “elevator pitch” that can be unleashed at a moment’s notice. Child development experts cite storytelling as a great way to impart life lessons and to illustrate the reasoning behind household rules. Last but not least, having a firm grasp on the basics of good storytelling can make parties and social gatherings a whole lot easier and more enjoyable, especially for those shy and retiring types who tend to feel anxious when they find themselves in the spotlight.
A Well-Tuned Tale
Telling better stories doesn’t just happen by accident. Focus first on learning how to recognize the ingredients that make for a ripping good yarn.
• A beginning, a middle and an end. Perhaps the single most important part of identifying a good story and telling it well is figuring out how the plot should be structured. Don’t provide too much history or context, and finish with a bang to avoid rambling on and diluting the impact of your story.
• Dramatic impact that fits with the audience. Figure out who your audience is and tailor the message to engage their interest. The story elements you emphasize when speaking at a cocktail party are likely to be totally different than those for a roomful of grade-school kids.
• A fast-paced plot. Once you get things rolling, try to retain a consistent momentum. Nothing makes an audience’s attention wane more quickly than an unevenly paced story.
• Vary Voice Inflection. A monotone voice is an interest killer. Vary the speed, volume and intonation of your voice to create interest. If inclined, impersonate other voices to garner affect and emphasize character traits.
• Just enough vivid detail. To ensure that your story will really come alive in the telling, elaborate on little details that do a lot of narrative heavy lifting. A one-sentence description packed full of sensory details can really bring a character to life without dragging down the pace of the story.
• A clearly defined theme or point. Long-winded stories that never get to the point are grueling. Convey events that happened, but also why they matter in the story. This will help your audience to care about the outcome.
Fact or Fiction
Keeping these elements in mind, it’s important to develop your own storytelling code of ethics. Although most of us know that some of the anecdotes told at cocktail parties and backyard barbecues are likely to be a bit exaggerated for effect, professional storytellers advise saving tall tales and outright fiction for venues in which the audience is open to an element of imagination. Fabricating details when spectators are expecting at least partial truth may cause you to lose credibility. If your story is fantasy-based, make sure you convey that fact by describing it as a “fable” or a “fairy tale.”
Still, when your story is mostly true, that doesn’t mean you have to provide a police report-like accounting of names, dates and details. The true art of effective storytelling comes with knowing when and how to emphasize some aspects of your tale and downplay or gloss over others.
Practice Makes Perfect
Now that you understand more about what makes a story effective, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice. Opportunities to burnish your new skills are all around you, both in the community and at home.
• Storytelling Festivals: Check out the events calendar at Clark County Libraries (www.lvccld.org), Henderson Libraries (www.mypubliclibrary.com), or call the NV Storytelling Guild (478-7704) for local events and make one of them the focus of a family day trip.
• Toastmasters Meetings: Dedicated to the art of storytelling and effective communication, Toastmasters focuses specifically on helping its members become better public speakers. Check the newspaper or the Toastmasters website (www.toastmasters.org) for a meeting time near you.
• Kids’ Story Times: If the thought of telling a story in front of grown-ups sends chills down your spine, use your own kids and their friends as storytelling guinea pigs. There are few critics who are harsher or more ruthlessly honest than a room full of easily distractible youngsters.
• Volunteer: Once you’re feeling bold enough to take your act on the road, why not volunteer your storytelling services? Children’s hospitals, assisted living facilities, senior centers, organizations that work with developmentally disabled individuals–these are all great venues in which to try out new stories and give back to the community at the same time.
• Story Potluck: When you get right down to it, stories are an important part of what makes us human. Celebrate the ancient tradition of storytelling with a story-themed potluck dinner. Ask everyone to bring a covered dish and their favorite family legend, reminiscence, ghost story, or tall tale.
Although storytelling is an age-old part of our culture, it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. But with just a little practice and attention to detail, you can hone your storytelling ability, get your point across, connect meaningfully with others, and effortlessly reel off a few hilarious and perfectly timed anecdotes at next month’s cocktail party.
Boost Your Budding Skills
Whether you prefer an online course, how-to books or other fun teaching aids, there’s help out there for every aspiring storyteller.
• Sign up for an online class or personal coaching from storyteller Doug Lipman at www.storydynamics.com. The site also offers a treasure trove of storytelling tools and resources, with kits and story-of-the-month club memberships starting at $5.
• Margaret MacDonald’s highly acclaimed Storyteller”s Start-Up Book is an absolute beginner’s guide to the fine art of storytelling, available at Amazon.com and your local library.
• The popular public radio show This American Life features a loosely themed group of gripping personal stories Sundays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 & 11 p.m. on KNPR-FM2 88.9. You can also get some storytelling technique tips from the show’s creator and host, Ira Glass, online at www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/15255.
• Practice family storytelling with the Once Upon a Time card game. These game cards provide lots of interesting storytelling prompts for players of all ages. Available at Amazon.com and select specialty retailers.
