How to make friends and fool people (that it's all ok)

It’s my best friend’s wedding, and my wife has never been so scared in her life.

“Are you sure you want to go? I’d understand if you didn’t.” 

“It’s your best friend’s wedding, we can’t not go.”

“Given what’s happening, she’d understand.”

“Yeah, I know that, but I think I need to stay busy or this will drive me crazy.”

“Ok, let’s go then.”

So we go, and we have a lot of fun. 

We look pretty good too 😉

But what no one at the wedding knows is that while the vows are being exchanged, my sister-in-law’s brain operation is just starting. 

When guests are drinking and enjoying their meal, we are waiting for updates. 

Everyone hits the dance floor, and we are still waiting for updates. 

As the celebrations start winding down, we still haven’t heard anything. 

We make our way back to our hotel with everyone else, and that’s when we get the news:

She has died. 

Twice. 

Through some miracle, though, the doctors managed to bring her back both times. 

You can’t tell that from this picture. 

Even if you were there, you wouldn’t have noticed something was wrong. 

That’s what we often do: we hide our worst pains and fears - even when they’re hurting us. 

The same happens if you're a leader, a parent, a partner or a friend.

When it comes to the people you care about, the people who count on you, please remember: 

Don’t judge a book by its cover. 

Don’t be fooled by what your eyes want to see: that everyone is happy. That everything is ok.

Make an effort to get the real story inside. Go a layer deeper.

In a world where everyone’s calendars are full and we automatically say “I’m fine” (whether it’s true or not), that can make all the difference in the world.

Vulnerability is not just a Brené Brown thing 

Today is World Mental Health Day.

Mental health is not something I'm qualified to talk about–at all.

But here's one thing I know: many people don't know they struggle with it, while many who do know it are not jumping at the chance to talk about it.

That's true for mental health but it's also true for much of what makes us suffer.

As I never get tired of saying, one of the most powerful things storytelling can do is show someone that you are not alone.

So tell those stories, and ask people for theirs.

It actually helps 🤘

-Francisco 

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Getting clarity through your story to stand out from all the other coaches, speakers and entrepreneurs out there 

2. If you dream of speaking on the Red Dot, take this Scorecard and instantly discover how likely your idea is to be accepted by a TED-style organizing committee

3. If you (or your team) got any storytelling challenges, I’m sure there’s something we can do together ;-)

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