Do you have a personal history?
Me neither. Except what I’ve been journaling the last few years. I don’t really consider it a personal history, but that’s exactly what it is.
Writing your story is your job in this season of your life To keep the Muse on your side, you need to set up a regular time to write. Limit it to 15 minutes, no more – at least at first. Fifteen minutes, three times a week, always at the same time and always in the same place. Write your memoir for $99 Gift to a family member for $99 StoryWorth makes it easy and fun to write your memoir, with one inspiring story prompt each week. You can keep your stories private, or share them with your loved ones.
Historically, this is one of the most important reasons people have kept journals. Right? Think about it – a journal is really just an account of your life. Everything you’ve experienced, from your perspective… It’s kind of the whole point. Journaling is inherently designed to help remember part of your life.
So instead of going all rogue on how else you can use a journal this month, we’re focused on the basics. The root of journaling.
Preserving a personal history. A life story.
- Jump into writing your life story with this helpful program that teaches you how to organize your material, define the story you want to tell, identify useful writing tools, and more. Write A Great Story—First Sentence to Last.
- Setting out to write the story of your life can be daunting, particularly during the first draft. Here is a step-by-step guide to the art of writing your own autobiography: 1. Start by Brainstorming. The writing process begins by compiling any and all life experiences that you suspect might be compelling to a reader.
- Life story This is a straightforward, fill-in-the-blanks approach to interviewing an adult, and is especially appropriate for the very old. You can also complete this life story for yourself. The Legacy Project has a more detailed list of life interview questions, as well as a simple Generations Scrapbook for children.
It seems pretty stressful – I’ve only lived a few decades and the thought of writing down my life… whoa baby, stop there. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I recently had a conversation with my only living grandmother who expressed the discouraging emotions behind trying to write down her personal history. She’s lived a lot of life… Where do you even get started with something like that?
So, with her in mind, I sat down and did the most logical thing I could think of – I wrote down questions I’d like to ask her about her life. This list is certainly not inclusive – there are so many things I’d like to know about her life – but this would at least provide a good starting point if we had a conversation about her history.
I hope it does for you too! July and August are traditionally the time of year when families get together. (Apparently it’s only considered a “reunion” if there are shirts…) So if you have a minute or 10 or even 60, sit down with some of the older members of your family and ask them these questions.
Journaling tip: grab your phone, pull up a voice memo, and hit record while asking questions! You’ll have an audio history of your parents and grandparents this way! Some of the sweetest treasures I have are voice recordings of my deceased grandparents. It’s like a little bit of them stayed behind just to say “hi!” And those moments are priceless.
Ok, enough ideas? Let us know how you are using these prompts! We want to know!
xo,
Sims 2 castaway psp iso. Roxanne
- Write about your name. Where did it come from? What does it mean?
- When and where were you born?
- Write about your mom. What would you want people to know?
- Write about your dad. What would you want people to know?
- Do you have any siblings? Write about them.
- Where did you grow up? What do you remember from that place?
- Think about your house growing up. What was it like?
- What was your childhood bedroom like?
- What was your favorite activity as a child?
- What was your favorite place as a child?
- Who were your friends as a child?
- Did you travel as a child? What were your favorite places to visit?
- What did a typical day look like as a child?
- What did a typical day look like as a teen?
- What was high school like for you?
- What world events were significant to you as a child?
- Write about your grandparents
- Write about your aunts
- Write about your uncles
- Write about your cousins
- Write about your early school memories
- What was your favorite subject in school?
- Who was your favorite teacher as a child?
- Did you move as a child? Write about it.
- Who taught you to drive?
- What was your favorite food as a child?
- Write about your most memorable birthday
- How did you typically celebrate your birthday?
- Write about your favorite holiday memory.
- What was the hardest part about growing up?
- What was the best part about growing up?
- When did you first leave home? Write about that experience.
- What did your parents do for work?
- What was your first job?
- What is your favorite family story?
- Are there any funny stories that have been passed down through the generations? Write one of them.
- What were you most proud of as a child?
- What did you want to be/do when you grew up? Did you become or do it?
- Who inspired you as you matured?
- What job has been your favorite?
- What was the best part of your 20s?
- What was the best part of your 30s?
- Are you in a relationship? How did you meet your significant other?
- Did you have any boyfriends/girlfriends as a youth? Write about them.
- Do you have kids? Write about them
- What are you most proud of as an adult?
- Where is the most fascinating place you’ve visited?
- What is one thing about today that you never want to forget?
- What item will you cross of your bucket list next?
- What advice would you give your younger self?
A simple approach to quickly capturing a |
Writing Your Life Story As Therapy
This is a straightforward, fill-in-the-blanks approach to interviewing an adult, and is especially appropriate for the very old. You can also complete this life story for yourself. The Legacy Project has a more detailed list of life interview questions, as well as a simple Generations Scrapbook for children. We offer a Life Interview Kit you can order. And you can write and permanently record a Life Statement.
The Life Story sheets are also useful in a care setting for older adults who may have Alzheimer's, other forms of dementia, or other functional impairments. The sheets can be completed by a family member, staff, or young volunteers from schools.
This fill-in-the-blanks life story has been inspired by an assessment form developed by the Center in the Woods and published in Beyond Baskets & Beads: A Manual of Activities for Older Adults with Functional Impairments by Mary Hart et al. Explains Beyond Baskets & Beads:
Too often we only know people as they are today, failing to recognize that each person is a sum total of the experiences which make up his or her life. We believe that this is where many of the usual assessment tools fall short. Most of them are a checklist format – easy to complete, but almost impossible to recall or use in any meaningful way. Most of the questions are close-ended, requiring only a brief response. They don't encourage the in-depth kind of conversation that can get at the personal and truly pertinent information…. [With this assessment], instead of a cold list of facts, we have a biography of a fascinating human being.
I've heard comments that older people, especially those with functional impairments, become 'like children.' Some of their behavior may be childlike, but they are NOT children. They are adults with a personal history. Children simply don't have that kind of personal history. After decades of living, none of us would want our life experiences to be dismissed. Acknowledging a person's personal history is what allows older adults to maintain their respect, dignity and, often, their connection to the world around them and the people they love.
At Center in the Woods, a care facility for older adults in California, PA, each staff member or volunteer who works with an older person is required to read through that person's life story. In this way, they aren't just an 'old man or woman with Alzheimer's' but become 'someone's mother or grandmother, a lady who owned her own business or lived in Paris. The frail elderly man regains his status as the president of a company or a skilled surgeon. No longer is this person to be pitied or patronized. Instead, we see a person to be admired and respected, a person who is approaching the latter part of a full and useful lifetime.' The center's activities can then be planned with people's interests in mind, and information about individuals is much easier to remember and use during interactions.
The Life Story sheets can be completed by interviewing an older person. Families can complete the sheets as a personal record, and as information they can pass along to a care facility. Or, staff or volunteers in a seniors center, nursing home, or other assisted living facility can do the interview when a resident arrives. If the older person can't answer all the questions on their own, family members can help provide information. This is also an activity that young people in schools or community groups, especially teenagers, can volunteer to do in local seniors centers or care facilities. Many seniors centers/facilities are desperate for volunteers, and this kind of help is a welcome first step to perhaps long-term volunteering. Doing the interview introduces young people to the strengths and diversity of older people, even those who may have functional impairments, and provides a valuable service. For the older people, just going through the exercise of the interview can mean a great deal. People want to talk about their lives, dreams, and personal challenges, but they are rarely asked. When a young person takes the time to listen to an older person, what the young person is really saying is that who the older person is, what they've done, and the things they care about are important.
Some basic tips for doing an interview with an older adult to complete the sheets:
Writing Your Life Story Template
An interview is just like talking with someone, but with prepared questions.
Ask questions clearly and slowly, giving the person time to answer. Repeat questions if necessary.
Listen carefully to what the person says; don't interrupt or correct. Maintain eye contact and show interest by leaning forward and nodding.
If someone is talking about an unhappy or painful experience, show that you understand how they feel (e.g. 'That's very sad').
It's okay for there to be moments of silence or emotion. A person's life is important, and emotion is natural. Accept emotions as part of the process.
If the person doesn't want to talk about something, that's okay – just go to the next question.
Modded ps2 iso. If the person has a lot to say in response to a particular question, summarize the key ideas to fit in the space available on the sheets.
An interview shouldn't last more than an hour. People do best when they're not tired. You can always finish the interview at another time.
Don't forget to thank the person you've interviewed. Let them know you value what they've shared.
Writing Life Story Template
When the Life Story sheets have been completed for an elder, it's a nice idea for a family member to read the story on audio or ideally video, with the camera zooming in on specific photos during appropriate parts of the story (begin and end the video with a current photo of the person). The video brings more life to the story, and can be played if the older adult is feeling depressed, bored, restless, or agitated. The sheets and audio/video also become a long-term family keepsake.
Click to download the Life Story sheets (12 pages).