Your Life History

- a gift you can give yourself

These guidelines helped me, perhaps they will help you . . .

Gather and organize your personal records

Make an outline

• your full name
• birth info- where , when, etc.
• parents full names and names of their parents
• memories of your preschool period- get recollections from parents or older siblings
• childhood memories about friends, schools, teachers
• young adulthood- thoughts on growing up, what it was like at home and at school, college
• courtship and marriage- how you and your spouse met, special dates, the marriage proposal, the wedding, your first home
• children- incidents that took place during pregnancy, names of children, hopes and dreams you had for your children
• vocations- jobs held, what you did to prepare for your life's work, different successes you had at work
• civic and political activities, with a list of positions held, and services that you did performed in your community and church
• spiritual  and faith-promoting experiences , and the effect those had on you
• what you plan and hope for the future

If you haven't already started, I encourage you to start writing your history as soon as possible

• don't be worried about whether your grammar or language is good enough- use your own style and tell how you feel and how things happened
• be honest, don't embellish, and don't dwell on negative experiences
• stick with your outline

If you would rather record your history

• be sure to use a good quality tape and recorder, or digital recorder
• go to a quiet place so you won't have background noise interruptions
• speak in a natural voice and speak clearly
• follow your notes and outline
• record  you musical talents and other voices if they fit in the story

Keep your history up to date by keeping a journal

• choose a nice book to keep as your journal
• set a scheduled time for journal entries, and stick with your plan
• daily entries are best

Enjoy the opportunity to preserve your life for generations to come.

It is never too early or too late to start - just DO IT!