"Your past is your story up to now. The future is the story yet to come. The present is where you live with that experience, your hopes and your dreams."

Opening Remarks: Happy Earth Day

How we live each day says something about who we are and what we consider important. It is a reflection of our values. It is easy to be consumer-minded in our society, especially with the incredible amount of marketing and advertising messages we are bombarded with daily.

Admittedly this e-zine has marketing messages. But I hope that you discover that the importance of your life story is at the core of every issue I publish.

I’ve been thinking about the concept of time and I include an article I just wrote with some of my reflections. There are also some personal history resources you can use for life story preservation. I’m particularly excited about the improvement of the updated and revised MemoryGrabber by Michael Boyter of Family History Products.

Thank you for the opportunity to present another ezine issue to you. Feel free to email me with questions and comments. I welcome the feedback.

You are receiving this e-zine because you signed up for it or someone who is subscribed passed it along to you. If a friend DID forward this to you consider subscribing by visiting our signup page . Also, let me know what you’d like to see more of in this newsletter – simply reply to this email e-zine.

While the main focus of this newsletter is to share thoughts, ideas, and insights on life story writing you should know that I offer various services and also mention some products and services that can be helpful. You are under no obligation to purchase anything, but if any of these products or services are helpful and you decide to utilize them then I am most grateful.

Thanks for reading. – Tom

Featured Article: Comes a Time

Comes a time
when you're driftin'
Comes a time
when you settle down
Comes a light
feelin's liftin'
Lift that baby
right up off the ground.
“Comes a Time” by Neil Young

This past weekend I needed to drive to the post office. My route took me by the elementary school where both my children attended. It’s been a few years since either of them was in those early grade school years. As I drove past the school grounds I suddenly had an almost overwhelming sense of those days. It wasn’t sadness, but there was maybe a sense of melancholy along with a twinge of sweet recollection. My daughter and son were once so young, so innocent and just driving by this deserted school on a Saturday brought those memories flooding back.

Our memories are stirred in a variety of ways. And when we reminisce we sometimes can get back in touch with certain feelings that are powerful. Joy, sadness, pride, anger, regret and more all reside in these memories. Part of the reason it is important to tell others your life story is because your life is made up of all those past experiences and the lessons you’ve learned along with the values you hold dear. When you develop your life story you get in touch with those memories and values. We shouldn’t dwell on the past, but we certainly can get valuable insight from reminiscing.

At the same time we only have right now. How we’ve lived and how we will live in the future can only truly be experienced in each present moment. It is inevitable, if you are searching, fearless and willing, that you will discover what is important in life and what you’ve learned that is worth sharing.

When I work with others who want to preserve their personal history/life story I strongly encourage they think about the purpose of life. What does it mean to them personally? Your life experiences can be interesting reading. But it has to be more than just a list of memories.

Nevertheless, the list of memories is your starting point. An effective way to begin to preserve your experiences for your life story is to keep a notebook, or better yet a three-ring binder, and then write short entries about various memories when inspiration strikes. Over time the list will grow and you can then begin to piece together your story. And if you find your writing skills aren’t as strong as you’d like you can always hire a personal historian to help you shape that story into a compelling narrative.

Make the most of each moment. Time is simply an ongoing now. We view our stories over time, but we live our lives one day at a time.

You can read other articles on life-story writing here.

Resources You Can Use

MemoryGrabber is a great downloadable e-book resource to help you put together your life story. Michael Boyter of Family History Products put this valuable resource together and he’s updated and revised it to make it even better.

It’s still the same affordable price ($12.95), but he’s made it possible to type and save your information right into the PDF e-book. If you are unsure how to get started on your memoir, autobiography, or life story the MemoryGrabber will inspire you and lead you through the practical process of your life history. Find out more here.

MemoryPress

MemoryPress Books are a great way to share your life story. You can create beautiful books that commemorate a wedding, anniversary, graduation, career, your life story, funeral book or for any worthwhile reason.

You can start your MemoryPress Book process right away and for just $50. When you purchase your $50 publishing credit, you use MemoryPress FREE. It’s an incredible and user-friendly online way to build your story into a book. Upload pictures, invite others to contribute writing, select a cover and revise, edit and proof your book and then a turnkey process binds and prints it. Your entire $50 will go straight to publishing when you are finished with your memory book!

You can do the whole thing yourself with great customer support and instructions. If you find you need more help, like a writer or editor, I am available for hire to assist you and get that long awaited story to print. You can find out more at here.

Our TimeLines.com

A number of important things happen over the course of your life. And there are important events happening in the world during your life, too. It’s fascinating to see those events together on a personalized timeline. OurTimeLines.com allows you to create your own personalized timeline and it is a free service. Or create the timeline of a family member, ancestor, friend or anyone you choose. See how you fit into history!

Closing Information

Any comments, ideas or feedback is greatly appreciated. Just reply to this ‘zine and tell me what you think!

Until next time, – keep your story alive!

Tom Gilbert