Stories allow the human race to fold inward. We find a sanctuary, a common ground to care and give and love. Someone on the other side of the world —  a person you may never meet or ever know — hears your story, suddenly understanding exactly where you stand and what you stand for. Hope for all. Work is a happier place when people share stories. Sometimes we see a story in the way a person sighs or the tightness of their eyes. What does it take to reassure someone their story will have a happy ending? Our hearts and intellect are entwined. We learn from each other’s stories. Culture thrives in story-driven organizations and reminds people of their important contributions to a greater good. Story builds relationships and relationships are the basis for everything. Together, things get done. Good ideas get launched. Great companies are built. Problems get solved. Customers, investors, donors, colleagues, referral drivers, your own teammates all hope their story is heard. Voices in the dark help no one. When we share stories, the possibilities for creating new ideas rush forth like a sea of blue — endless and fervent and delightfully imperfect. We become believers in other people when we understand the story of a tiny start-up or a great big global enterprise or the old man up the street. Our story makes us us. What does story mean to you?