December 30, 2006 Issue-036 – The Pursuit

From Tom Gilbert – Editor and Writer, www.your-life-your-story.com

In this Issue:

Opening remarks: Snowed Under
Featured Article: The Pursuit
Resources You Can Use: iMemoryBooks

Opening Remarks: Snowed Under

A big storm came through yesterday and is continuing today and we are under a foot and a half of snow here in the city. This is quite unusual for us. I’m having Michigan flashbacks (I lived in Grand Rapids for five years).

Despite being snowbound at home it is quite lovely to look at, my children are excited and it is an opportunity to enjoy a day of winter wonder. Plus, it brings back many memories of snow days when I was growing up.

We are grateful for the snow because the amount we get in the mountains each year makes a big difference when the dry months of spring and summer come. We need the water. We also need memories and memorable days like this one. We need our stories. We need each other.

Thank you to all who’ve been visiting my site, reading the ezines and especially those of you that I’ve worked with over the past year. I hope that you are finding helpful information and motivation. You can always 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. It is a special thing to share with you life story writing and personal history tips, resources and thoughts. If you like what you read here, you can pass it along to a friend. 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: The Pursuit

My family and I went to the theater this past week and we saw a new movie. "The Pursuit of Happyness" is the story of Chris Gardner based on his memoir. This man’s sheer determination, perseverance and tenacity in the face of considerable odds show us that dreams can come true. But there is always a price to be paid.

Will Smith is great in the title role of Chris Gardner, a man trying to make ends meet for his wife and young son. In the early 1980’s he is selling bone density scanners, a somewhat expensive piece of equipment that gives only a slightly better view of bones than an x-ray. Most doctors considered it unnecessary. Chris spent his life savings purchasing the machines and trying to sell them. It’s a tough job without much success. His wife is working a low-paying job, they get further behind in bills and eventually she leaves him. He decides to pursue his dream of becoming a stockbroker. He goes through an incredible ordeal just to be one of twenty chosen to intern with Dean Witter. The internship is without a salary and only one person will be chosen from the class to get the job.

Through all of this he keeps custody of his son despite becoming homeless and living on virtually no income, only what he can get from selling the remaining medical machines he has. Oh, and even the Internal Revenue Service catches up with him for back taxes!

The story has a happy ending. Chris Gardner gets the job and goes on to be very successful, even a multi-millionaire. However, the real moral of the story is not that he becomes rich. The important lesson for all of us is to never give up and to never let other people tell us we can’t pursue our dreams. It is our right and obligation in life to the pursuit of these dreams and that includes those of us dedicated to preserving family history and the stories of others.

There is more about Chris Gardner, including an excerpt from his memoir, on the National Public Radio website here

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

Resources You Can Use

The iMemoryBook is a great way to write your memoir, tribute books, personal histories – the possibilities are endless. It’s very affordable and easy to build your story online and then have it printed with a beautiful hard or soft cover and with the artwork you want.

I’ve personally used the iMemoryBook process to write a tribute book to my daughter. And I am currently working on a new book about my endeavor to run a marathon to help raise funding to fight Leukemia, Lymphoma and other blood cancers.

I know how it works and I can help you with yours, if you so desire. This is really a wonderful way to do your family or personal history project. You can write an autobiography, a biography of someone else, a company history, create a wedding or anniversary reminiscence, record your spiritual journey or write a tribute to a loved one who has died.

There are a couple of ways to do this. You can buy the main package for less than $200 and your story will be online forever as well as getting one hardcover book. Plus, you can affordably order additional books and because your story stays online (password protected so you can share it only with those you choose to) you can update it in the future. Or you can use the Heirloom package for just $49.95 that allows you to follow the same process. Plus, you get a $37 coupon towards the cost of your project that gives you a 25 page full-color or 150 page black and white hardbound book. For more information and to get started visit here

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