Story Spark Day 19 Conflicts Tension That Transform

Awesome. So welcome everyone to day 19 of Stories Spark session. And in this week, we are working on different elements of a great story. So today's element is— I call it the second most important element in a story, and that is conflicts. So conflicts is something that makes a story worth listening, worth watching, worth experiencing. So if you don't have a conflict in your story it makes it really boring, and it's basically not a story but a series of events. And in today's exercise, into today's session, we are going to look at your stories, we are going to look at types of conflict, and then you're going to pick up one of your stories, and from that story you're gonna mention what is the conflict, and then you're gonna only focus on the conflict part of it, and then we'll do the story sharing and we'll end as usual with 3 affirmations of the day. So what are the different types of conflict? So there are many types of conflict. Number 1 is man versus self. It's basically a lot of times when we think about the doubt, that fears, the imposter syndrome, and so on, so other thing, which is— there's no nothing external involved. It's all we working with ourselves. We having— we are having issues with ourselves is one kind of conflict, which is called man versus self. The other kind of conflicts is where you have more than one person involved, which is when you have arguments, when you have betrayal, rejection. So that's where man versus man or person versus person kind of conflict. The third kind of conflict is when you have man versus society. So think of it as Gandhi's story, right? Gandhi was against the whole British Empire, so that is breaking norms, or you face judgment from everyone. Anybody is trying to do something different from society, that is where the man versus society type of conflict happens. The next one is man versus system. So you have injustice, bureaucracy, red tape, so on, so forth. So when you are against a man or someone is against a system, that is called the man versus system type of conflict. And the last one here is man versus nature or circumstances. So whenever you have illness, accident, fate, natural calamity, earthquake, that is where the conflict is between man versus nature or circumstances. So these are the top 5. There are others as well, but these are the main types of conflict. Why I'm sharing is because sometimes we don't even know what kind of conflict we are having in our stories, and that is where when you are not clear, then your audience is definitely not clear. So today's exercise is going to be, you are going to look at or think about the story you recently told or you want to tell and analyze the type of conflict used. And what we're gonna do is we're not going to share the whole story, but you are going to analyze the story. You're gonna look at the conflict, and I want you to do— take the conflict and escalate it. For example, if there was a problem, how the problem became bigger and bigger until something changes. So just focus on that particular part of it. So we're gonna do, uh, again, 1.5 minutes of journaling where you look at only one story, look at type of conflict, and take it from where it starts to where it goes to the peak. All right, so let's get into that. I'm gonna share the music now. Start writing. Last 7 seconds. Okay, let's start with Alka ji. So tell us about the type of conflict used in your story and tell us how you're taking it to the peak.

To the peak? No, so this is a very a simple problem in my life. That the conflict is that my husband and I have always been on the same page, and we have always aligned ourselves with each other's thoughts. I'm always supportive of him and he's always supportive of me, and that's why we have managed to go for 42 years of our marriage. Now, since the last few years, he has become very supportive of the children, and somehow I tell him that the only way that the children can become independent is that you to push them in the water and they to start swimming. And he doesn't agree with that. He says they may get drowned. I said, no, they will not get drowned. If they have to survive, they will. So I think the conflict is not with me and my husband's thoughts. The conflict is me with myself, that why can't I accept what my husband is saying? And sometimes I feel I cannot accept it because my, my values are different. I was not taught like that. I was brought up like to become independent. And I did not take any support from my parents or from my in-laws when I was— when I newly married and I wanted to make my house. So I feel that supporting children every step of their life makes them very, very dependent. And that's the conflict that I have with my husband. And I'm learning, I'm still working on it. And the only way that I can solve it is that I can accept it. The way he thinks is right. And go with it. That's what I'm thinking right now.

Amazing, amazing. I mean, this is very deep because you have conflict inside conflict. So you have one conflict which is man versus man or person versus person, but as you said, the deep layer of it is you have a conflict with yourself. That is the person versus self. So beautiful. And yes, not all conflicts get solved immediately, it takes time also. So Thank you for sharing that. And story power to you. Everybody type SPTY. And let's go to now Venkat, please.

Good morning to all.

Good morning, Venkat.

Recently I researched myself about my thoughts. In this, I came to Japan. The reason is, uh, I was very um, pleasure to move here. But the concept is— the reason, background reason is Japan is a very— a lot of advertisements came from social media about Japan. So that's the reason.

Our next speaker is Haritosh Srivastav. Come again, sorry, there was some, some, some distraction. Go ahead. Yeah, I'll just try to find out where exactly is this playing. Haritosh Srivastav. Okay, got it.

Haritosh Srivastav lecture.

Yeah, go ahead.

Sorry. Working in abroad, its benefit only mainly to employer— employee— that is employer, not employee. Here we don't get a distraction, so it again, it directly goes to productivity, increase productivity. And get benefit to employer. We are not getting attachment here, so our productivity is increased. We don't think about anything, so it all goes to employer. We cannot take any leave, we cannot speak with friends or family members with the phone also within the office. So it all increase the productivity, it all get finally benefit to employer. So directly, uh, deputing from India to abroad is mostly benefit to employer. But in my opinion, previously it was, um, it both get benefited. But now I feel it is mainly to employer because now I am not getting leave as per my employment contract. I am not getting leave Because they said, um, the project is in peak, so we cannot take leave, even casual leave, sick leave. We cannot take any leave, uh, in abroad. So that's my conflict.

Right. So what do you think is which kind of conflict is this?

My previous assumption was both get benefited.

And, uh, sorry to interrupt, uh, interject, uh, if you look at this particular slide, which man was mind Man versus man or man versus system?

System. Man vs system.

Yeah, awesome. Thank you for sharing. Story power to you as well. So it's very important to identify conflict because that's when people understand the pain and challenges that you're facing. Thank you for sharing. Let's go to Dinesh now.

Thank you. I remember my olden days. My classmate was Bengali and once she invited me, "Dinesh, ho mare ghar mein aao, pooja hai aur phir bhajan hai." I felt very happy. "De uske ghar mein bhajan means khana khane kare." So I went to her house and then there was a pooja, all those things carried on. I was worrying when the dinner will start, when the dinner will start. And there was no dinner at all. I asked, I called her and said, what about the dinner? Ha? Hum dinner khatum ko nahi bola. Hum bula puja hai, bojan hai. Ye bojan hai na, ye bojan ho raha hai. Awesome, very humorous, very humorous.

But yeah, understanding again, I think it will be again man versus man interpreting each other's language and culture. Yes, it's awesome. Thank you for sharing. Story power to you. Bajan versus Bojan, very interesting. Awesome. So now we have done the story sharing. Let's also quickly go ahead and share why do you think understanding conflict is so important when it comes to storytelling. So we'll take about 30 seconds each. Let's start with Dr. Ka.

So conflict, unless and until you know what the problem is, how are you going to sort it out?

Absolutely.

It's by blaming, by making excuses, by reasoning it in different ways, is not going to help. And most of us, we are looking for a person in our life to blame it on someone else, to unload it on someone else, but that's not the solution. The solution is only come from within yourself. When you start thinking about it, whatever the conflict may be, whether it is man versus man, man versus nature, man versus anything. Even a tsunami, when it destroys you, you do— you can't blame the tsunami. There is something else which is happening in your own life. There's a tsunami going on in every human being, and there's a Guru Sutra going on in every human being. There's an Arjun. So I think understanding the conflict is so important, and I really want to share within half a second that Dinesh ji has understood my conflict very well, and yesterday he has written to me. He has sent me one story which has crafted for me, and the story is out of the world. I may be allowed to share it with you later, but I'm very— yeah, yeah, he has sent me an audio of that. So thank you so much, Dinesh Ji. And this, this platform is coming out to be a very beautiful platform where we are sharing our conflicts and getting solutions for our conflicts. So thank you. Absolutely.

This community as good as the member. So I am very, very grateful to all you for being part of the community and sharing. And Dinesh Ji, you can share with all of us, don't worry too much. We are not judgmental people, so you can share if you want to. I think you shared in the group also and then you retracted or something like that, so feel free to share in the group also. Awesome. So Venkat, why do you think is conflict so important when it comes to storytelling and communication?

Conflict that creates a hook and people are, uh, love to listen the crisis because they also have the same. Yes, you connect each other. And in all my story I have also conflict, but it was hidden and I cannot articulate. That is, I feel, um, now Dinesh Ji shared that their, uh, conflict in humorous way. So articulation is important. And so that is I missed, and I, I need to practice in making hidden conflict.

That's why we have this daily StorySpark session now. Awesome. Yes, Dineshji, what is your take on why conflicts are so important in storytelling?

My biggest takeaway, if I say, is you should be able to observe what you are doing. And second thing is, what is the outcome?

Yes.

So I always, in my— which I started the series, Sukrat ke Safotake Sutra.

Yes, very interesting.

Ask, ask, what will be the outcome? And in Tony Robbins, one of the speech, he has very clearly said, before you speak anything, try to ask yourself what you are expecting. So for today's session, this was fantastic. I loved all the points.

Thank you. Awesome. So yes, when we are telling story, as they say, conflicts are the engines of story. So when you have great engine Stories are more powerful, and that is why when we know what the problem, what the challenge is, what the stakes are out there, we are able to better articulate and we are able to make our audience feel as well, right? So a quick tip for storytelling or conflict is that do not rush the tension. Do not be in a hurry that, oh, I have to tell a conflict in 30 seconds. No, let them feel that. Let them see how it's just like frog in the boiled water. Let them understand what is the implication, why it is so painful, why you are going through challenges. Because when that— when then the resolution come, which is what we are going to cover tomorrow, people will be able to see the real change in that. So that's what we'll be coming— covering tomorrow. Now let's go through the favorite part, which is having 3 affirmations. And I have the 3 affirmations ready, so we'll start I will start with affirmation and please follow. So the affirmation, first affirmation is: My conflicts are my story's power.

My conflicts are my story's power.

Every struggle faced adds depth, strength, and soul to my story.

Every struggle faced adds depth, strength, and soul to my story. Strength and soul to my story.

Awesome. And the last one for today is, I share my challenges with courage and it connects me to audience's hearts.

Beautiful. I share my challenges with courage and it connects me to audience's hearts.

Awesome. So story power to all of you. Thank you so much for joining. Have a great, amazing weekend, and I'll see you all tomorrow for day 20 of StorySpark session. Take care, stay safe, and stay blessed.

Thank you.

Thank you.