The "Your Life is Your Story" Blog Archives

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September, 2004

September 25, 2004

President Bill Clinton, whose recently released autobiography "My Life" is a bestseller, recently advised a crowd of booksellers in Chicago, "I really think that anyone who's fortunate enough to live to be 50 years old should take some time, even if it's just a couple of weekends, to sit down and write the story of your life, even if it's only 20 pages, and even if it's only for your children and your grandchildren."

I found this quote at the AARP website while reading an article from the September/October issue about Ethical Wills. Think about it. It makes sense - even if it's "only 20 pages". Yes, yes, yes. Writing something about your life to be preserved for others is so very important. I hope coming to this site reinforces that and helps move you closer to doing it.

I've written a new article about Ethical Wills - find it here in the articles section.

September 21, 2004

I get a variety of email newsletters. One I've been enjoying recently comes from Nightingale-Conant. This company is noted for their motivational and inspirational audio programs and yes, I've bought a few of them over the years which have proved quite good. They have a new magazine called AdvantEdge and the emails they've been sending include a feature called "Beyond Mile 18". Each time I get an interesting biographical profile of a prominent person. They call them "success stories" and they are quite inspiring. Past issues have included Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Tony Bennett, Clint Eastwood and Golda Meir.

You can find out more by going to the Nightingale-Conant website (here) and from there click on the AdvantEdge link (scan the page for it or go to the top right corner) and then Success Stories. I think it could help motivate you if you are writing a life story.

September 15, 2004

If you are interested in an Ethical Will surf over to Heritage Life Stories. Laurie North has some good information on what they are and there is even a very good sample ethical will to view.

Good quote: "When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."
- Helen Keller

September 12, 2004

Today is Grandparents Day. What a treat for grandparents to have the joy of young children, to share their love and their family history and to make a connection through the generations.

Both sets of my grandparents have passed on. However, I have two children and my wife and I enjoy watching our parents spend time with them. One set lives near us, the other is in another state. Yet, they all make the time to connect with the kids. One of the greatest things we can do as families is to facilitate those connections. I find that I learn alot about parenting from watching my parents, and my wife's, interact with our children.

God bless all the grandparents today!

September 9, 2004

In just a few days it will be the third anniversary of 9-11. Nine-eleven. That's all you have to say to anyone and they immediately know what you are referring to. That dark September day when terrorists hijacked airliners and flew them into the New York City World Trade Centers, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and the plane that crashed into a field in Pennsylvania is something we will always remember. Rightly so.

The Internet has many places that memorialize the people who died that day. Visit the September 11 Tribute area at Legacy.com and read some of the heartfelt postings.

I am seeing a growing discussion and interest in Ethical Wills. These are statements that express your values and special messages that you want to leave for your loved ones. This is a wonderful way to let people know what is, and has been, important to you that you want others to understand.

I'll be writing more about this and also sites that focus on tributes and memorializing those who've died in this month's upcoming issue of the Your Life is Your Story newsletter. Why not sign up for it today? It's free and filled with lots of helpful life story/personal history information I'm grateful for our many subscribers and I hope you will join us. You can register here.

September 1, 2004

As I had mentioned in a previous post (August 9), The Jane Pauley Show had contacted me while researching a show on doing life stories. I understood it at the time to be focused on video biographies. In a way, that's what they did. Specifically they answered a request from someone who wanted a video journal to help her young son know more about the terminal illness she's been diagnosed with.

The show's website has more info, as well as some other links to some "life story preservation" resources. They seem to be more interested in ways of telling your story other than a book (which I still think is the best, but that's just my biased viewpoint). It's also a shame that they didn't mention the excellent Association of Personal Historians - over 400 members now and a great organization of people who do all kinds of story preservation. You can visit the APH site here.

Everybody has a story to tell!
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