The story is the doorway

A story is only the doorway. The meaning is where you lead people once they've walked through it. Without it, you're just telling campfire tales.

So don't stop at what happened to you. Tell the story, then the point, then why it matters to the person listening—"the reason I'm telling you this is." That last turn outward is the gift. People don't only want to know what you went through; they want to know what it means for them.