How do you know when it’s time to stop telling a particular story? When is it too old? Is there a magic number?
The answer is, if it’s a good story, never stop telling it. You may have to adjust for time and circumstance, and keep it fresh, but good ones are hard to find and therefore, keepers.
Another question that comes up is what if there are people in the audience who’ve heard this story before? Answer: They love hearing stories over and over again, even if they know how the story’s going to end or the punchline. Remember how you or your kids loved hearing the same stories repeatedly? Well, this is the same principle at work. People in your audience who’ve heard your story feel like a member of an exclusive club. They feel like insiders and that’s a nice, cozy place to be. They can enjoy it and even cue neighbors to listen up because something good is coming and then vicariously enjoy the reaction of someone to whom the story is new.
So don’t stop telling a good story. Just keep making it better.