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
professional maid services Deerfield ..Writers are an insecure lot.It's easy to understand why. You... Read More
How many times have you forced yourself to sit in... Read More
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching... Read More
1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?How we usually begin the preparation stage... Read More
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More
Using a ghostwriter to craft your free reprint articles and... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
Most books aren't rejected because the stories are "bad." They're... Read More
Ah, writing. For those of us who love to play... Read More
All the famous writers I heard of could paper the... Read More
Since the headline is the first contact your readers have... Read More
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts... Read More
Dave, I just got a contract for a book... Read More
Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a... Read More
Business etiquette is fundamentally concerned with building relationships founded upon... Read More
ESSAYS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHY: NUMBER 1Preamble:Nearly seven years ago I wrote... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
All sales begin with some form of advertising whether it's... Read More
Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes... Read More
The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More
Right off the bat, I want to say that there... Read More
Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline?Outlines... Read More
I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More
quick home cleaning Lake Forest ..Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!A. Memories of... Read More
Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one... Read More
ELICIT, ILLICITElicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means... Read More
Dream that your book can be a number one best... Read More
Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
Reading through a writer's notebook or journal is like discovering... Read More
There are a lot of tapes and books and CD... Read More
What a lack of research could do to you.When creating... Read More
Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the... Read More
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More
If you become a writer for any publication, private business,... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
Every writer eventually develops her own unique style of writing.... Read More
Just about every marketer on the Internet claims to be... Read More
Nike's ad has taken on new meaning for me of... Read More
ADAPTATION 101Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing... Read More
One of the most common weaknesses I see in day-to-day... Read More
At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More
The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers,... Read More
I've seen it time and again. One of the most... Read More
If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More
Proofreading worksheets are a great tool to help individuals open... Read More
Writing |