There is power in storytelling. Every individual has a story to tell, but most don’t think they have the tools to do so. There are over 150 million books in circulation globally, and over 2 million more books are published each year. Stories are shared every day through a variety of social media and web-based platforms. 7.5 million blog posts are uploaded each day, and over 400 million posts are shared on Facebook and Twitter respectively. Even so, more stories have yet to be written.

There are many benefits to storytelling. Writers process emotions quicker than non-writers, and writing about your experiences helps provide clarity. Writing about important personal experiences for just as little as 15 minutes every day for three days has the potential to benefit your mental and physical health. Anne Frank wrote, “I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” Writing down your goals also enhances well-being and the likelihood of success. According to one study, people who write down their goals are 1.5 times more likely to achieve them.

The psychological benefits of storytelling are healing, communication, self-reflection, concentration, and reasoning. Writing also creates a legacy and contributes to success and helps you focus on a single idea. Michael Leboeuf said, “When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few if any of us, can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools.” Additionally, writing can effectively communicate difficult concepts; storytelling can make any fact up to 22 times more memorable.

In the words of Toni Morrison, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Anyone can become a published author with the right tools. Every writer needs support, guidance, and feedback to succeed. Opyrus enables billions of people to tap into the power to write for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing, changing their life.

Opyrus democratizes and socializes writing, creating an environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, and growth. FastPencil is an easy-to-use writing tool to create, protect, and sell your content. Caravan is a private community of writers, guides, and service providers that are ready to collaborate and communicate about your ideas. WritingLight delivers rich information courses, podcasts, and other sources of knowledge, promoting growth.

Anne Lamott said, “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” While starting your journey may seem daunting, writing mindfully separates the storytelling into different steps to make it easier. Using a writing prompt can help you choose your story. Do you want to reflect on a challenging experience or share a story of growth? Writing should feel like a reward, not a punishment, so it’s important to focus on the process rather than just the result.

The benefits of writing take time, so it’s essential to build a habit. Commit to writing every day or several times a week, starting small. Maybe it’s writing down a goal you want to accomplish in the morning or about something you’re grateful for in the evening. Make sure to save everything because you never know what you’ll want to come back to. Start writing your story today because you just might change the world.

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