Reasons for Recording Your Life Story

1. No one else will do it for you.

2. No one else knows the stories of you life quite like you do. Do you want them to tell it?

3. This is an opportunity to share knowledge, wisdom and advice to those who would be inspired to learn from us.

4. When we record something, we remember more.

5. By reflection and recording we are able to gain a deeper appreciation for all the surrounding happenings that influenced our decisions and experiences.

6. A life examined and recorded is twice precious, first the experience itself and then the memories it evokes when we read about it later.

7. Everyone has a story to tell. We each have a unique view of history from our own perspective.

8. There is an inner need in each of us to be remembered. To reflect and to see that our lives had value.

9. We want to be remembered by descendants as a real person and not just a name on a tree.

10. If not recorded, the stories you learned from your grandparents will die with you.

11. The things you did as a child are as remote from children today as Mars is from the Earth.

12. You will be looking at painful memories of childhood with the eyes of an adult and realize that they no longer have the power to hurt you.

13. You have the opportunity to leave a legacy for friends and family.

14. This is a way to celebrate your own life.

15. It allows family and friends to know you as an individual, not just the role they were familiar with.

16. By sharing how you overcame adversity, it may strengthen another who is facing a hard time.

17. It gives you an opportunity to not only examine events, but feelings and emotions.

18. It allows you the opportunity to say on paper what is sometimes hard to express in person.

19. By writing our stories, we can examine our life's journey with a wider view.

20. It is very therapeutic to examine the past and then to let old hurts go.

21. It is the ultimate journey of self-discovery, even if no one else ever reads it.

22. You can pass down traditions, standards, beliefs or even recipes that have a great deal of meaning within the family or community.

23. As you grow older and less verbal, it helps caregivers and others to see you as you once were.

24. You will be respected, envied and praised for doing what most people just talk about doing.

A recent survey taken of a group of elderly people indicated that their major life regrets were in not:

! Taking more risks-choosing the secure over the unknown and the unknown would have been fine..

! Reflecting more, taking time to stop along the way and decide who we are and where we are going.

! Contributing and sharing more feelings, thoughts and emotions with family, friends and community.

By recording your life story, which is a scary step to take, you can accomplish all three.

There is an old African saying that every time a person dies, it is as if a library has burned down.

Just do it, you will always be glad that you did!!!

If you are interested in getting the answers to these and other questions about life story writing, please contact us at judywright@artichokepress.com and sign up for a tele-class and our FREE e-zine: "The Artichoke" - finding the heart of the story in the journey of life..

?Judy H. Wright, Personal and Oral Historian - www.artichokepress.com

recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..
In The News:

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.
Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

Sick of the Traditional Publishing Path?

A book coaching client recently emailed me that she was... Read More

Want to start a publishing revolution?

Calling all publishers, editors, journalists and freelance writers. It's time... Read More

Focusing Your Reading and Finding Ideas

Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More

Editing

EditingExpect, allow, and accept that every first draft will represent... Read More

I Am Biodegradable - My Writing Is Not

My dad was wrong. I just discovered that I am... Read More

Are You Feeling Dash-ing? Using Punctuation for Effect and Influence

The dash--that curious mark of punctuation people use in their... Read More

Balance Your Life

Balance your life ... Read More

Does The Title Reflect The Story?

Short Story Writing Tips ?We all have different tastes in... Read More

Gaining Writing Experience

GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In... Read More

Six Tips for Creating More Lifelike Story Characters

Working on my first humorous novel, I started with a... Read More

Writing Dialogue That Make Your Characters Come Alive

Characters in a good novel really carry the story along... Read More

Top Seven Ways to Select a Book Topic That Sells

Authors need to write their book according to their target... Read More

Could Your Book Idea Be the Next Best Seller?

Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business... Read More

Ten Quick Tips for Inexperienced Writers

One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More

Print-On-Demand: A Definition and a Comparison

The purpose of this article is to consider Print-On-Demand publishing... Read More

Five Tips to Find More Time for Your Writing Life

When I asked new ezine subscribers, "What is your Number... Read More

What Is The Single Worst Writing Mistake?

The following answer sounds simplistic?but think about it. The single... Read More

Review In 29 Steps Plus One

I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More

The Value of Adding Images to Technical Documentation

It's clich?, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More

Writing Technique: The Restaurant Syndrome

Picture this scene.Your hero is sitting in a bar. He's... Read More

Screenwriting, Screenplays, Screenwriters ? Incremental Productivity

When attempting to understand Creativity and Innovation, it pays to... Read More

10 Tips on How to Cultivate Relationships with Editors

If you are an aspiring writer, or you simply want... Read More

Water to Swim In

Not long ago, I took stock of my unrealized desire... Read More

Kick-Start your Juices

Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time... Read More

Do You Plot With Your Character In Mind?

Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More

tidy up service Buffalo Grove ..