I am always on the lookout for stories that bring something more to listeners than a clever twist of plot. Something that the listener can relate to. Call it a message. It might give the listener a suggestion of a new direction. It might even state a moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.

As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Once in a while, a teacher would tell a story that held profound meaning to me. I noticed that stories with a message stuck in my memory. To this day I still remember and follow those messages. The Golden Rule. There is no substitute for honesty. Slow down and notice the things around you. Community giving is part of community living. I am who I am because of those messages.

I find myself using stories I heard long ago when I perform today. The stories are ageless. The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.

What’s so important about inspirational stories? First, consider the barrage of daily news and information. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? This is where inspirational stories serve us well. A listener can mull over inspirational stories. They give us something to consider. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that gives us perspective.

Looking for inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at www.jaystetzer.com. On the “Listen” page of my website, click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from the World Full of Stories CD are good examples of inspirational stories. “Service with a Smile” on my Parking in Manhattan CD offers the listener a great hidden lesson. Long after they are told, inspirational stories stay in the memory. I am even inspired by the inspirational stories I tell!

We live in a complex, fast moving world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us. Inspirational stories can help us in our travels. Like having your own spiritual GPS! My recordings contain a wealth of inspirational stories. Listen for yourself!

I am a parent and a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!

You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you.

Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children will never get tired of? A unique gift children can enjoy sharing with their friends and family? A memorable gift is the gift of story. The kind of unique gift children will treasure for a long time to come.

As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word “nifty” when referring to a cool car or a great suit of clothes. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”

What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment.” I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The characters may act out the meaning of the story. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Think of the difference between an Aesop fable and a tale from the Arabian Nights. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always in vogue. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Stories that are nifty are stories that are priceless!

My research into stories in the past few years have uncovered a number of stories that go well beyond a clever plot to amuse my listeners. Call it a message, or perhaps a hint of direction. They could even suggest a moral. The name of this elusive quality is not all that important. It is more important that the stories I tell possess it. They are inspirational stories.

Inspirational stories give listeners something to chew on. They can mull it over long after they heard the story. It gives them something that points them a bit closer to their “true north.”

Check out my website and the page entitled, “Listen.” Click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. I find that inspirational stories stick in the memory long after they’re told. The fact is, inspirational stories actually inspire everybody, even the storyteller!

As we travel along the highway of life in this fast moving, complex world, we can all use a little “inner” direction. We can be confounded and dizzy by all its twists and turns. Inspirational stories help keep us on the road. Think of them as a personal GPS. There is a wealth of inspirational stories available on all of my recordings. Check them out!

Throughout the world stories have been told and retold for millennia. They act as vital threads that weave through the fabric of a culture. They lend definition, roots, and significance to society. World stories spread as the culture grows.

One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Customs and rituals. Daily habits and geography. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.

All cultures regard certain notions as sacred. You can also find things demonic. Their stories regularly exhibit these notions. They make up the mythical soil out of which the stories grow. Myth forms the basis for many world stories. They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.

By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Many folktales were cautionary tales with lessons for avoiding catastrophe. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Keep away from wild animals! Do not talk to strangers! On the other hand, reward and happy endings comprise many folktales. Good and evil are eternal foes. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. Regardless of genre, any worthy world story can be applied to contemporary life. And that brings us to storytelling today. Contemporary society is far removed from rural villages of old, but the old stories still remain pertinent.

Some world stories are downright funny. Other world stories are filled with mystery. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are enigmatic. Generally world stories teach. All world stories keep us amused.

Regardless of their intent, all world stories express deep bonds with the fabric of a country and culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories. And in distant worlds they still have meaning.

To enjoy the breadth of subject matter found in world stories, listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories.” It is an award winning journey that will take you around the globe!