Mike Will Downey

Storytelling is an art that has evolved over thousands of years. Main characters have ups and downs to shape a story. Vivid images are painted in words.  The human brain processes images 60x faster than words. the brain releases dopamine when there are emotional stories. Neural coupling activates our brain to give our own meaning to stories. Knowing this, you need quality content and a compelling story! Timeline of Storytelling The origin of storytelling goes back to prehistoric times. Cavemen told each other stories orally, and through sign language or rock drawings, for mystical rituals or before hunting. In ancient Egypt, storytelling was used for communications, entertainment, and religious purposes. The Greeks used their stories to explain natural occurrences in the form of myths. Home, the greatest of ancient Greek poets, created the Iliad and Odyssey, two epic poems that lie at the beginning of Western literature.  In Asia, there's a long tradition of s...

Picking the right intentions involves our intuition. It requires an awareness of our inner desires, the stirring of our heart. It is about bringing ourselves into alignment. The alignment is with a desired aspect of life that we are working on. Because it is about aligning ourselves, setting intentions also comes with addressing our resistances. Inner work may be required when we observe that we are out-of-alignment. Throughout the year, based on our ongoing experiences, it may be necessary to make any changes to our intents as appropriate. The process does not generate any sense of perceived “failure” or not living up to our resolutions per se. Setting intents is not a once-a-year activity; rather it is a process that naturally unfolds as we evolve. Because of this, I keep an intention-setting journal by my bedside to keep track of changes arising throughout the year. It is interesting to note how my intents have shifted to today’s. Power Words for Visioning From studying the ...