"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: Reflection Time

Having this much information and our resulting busy lives can be a blessing or a curse. If we take time to reflect and process then we stand a better chance of finding meaning, purpose and happiness. If we don’t we can end up feeling harried and stressed.

Today we had a rare winter snow day in Albuquerque. It allowed me to stay home for a while, to look out at the beautiful winter wonderland, to play with my grandson (who will be one year old in a couple of days) and to write and reflect. And much of what I reflect about and write about I desire to share, so I hope you enjoy this issue and thanks for reading.

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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 Internet Stream

The constant flow of information across the Internet is a stream that we can jump in or watch from the riverbank. Our world is connected like never before.

This evident each time something major happens in the world. News now travels at “real time” speed. We see it especially with social media like Twitter and Facebook. Currently the world is watching the unrest in Egypt as people are protesting the regime of Hasni Mubarak and hoping for a new freedom and democracy. This view into global happenings can exert pressure in many ways, such as on governments, businesses, education and the very lives of people everywhere who are exposed to the Internet stream. In the United States there is debate about whether our country should continue to give support to Egypt, a country that benefits from a great deal of financial aid, or call for Mubarak to step down (see this article from the Christian Science Monitor).

The incredible and always current flow of information can dramatically impact our life stories and personal history. Look at how many people are commenting about it through social media, blogs and other “virtual water cooler” places. And our various media channels are also reporting on life and news and they include their Internet destinations for further information. This is a new world – the global village – we are living in.

Because we access all this information and can easily save it to our computers we have the ability to later reflect on it in a way that previous generations could not. People used to have to wait for radio or television broadcasts and before that, for telegrams, newspapers, letters or a visitor to bring us information about what was happening outside our immediate community.

I keep a journal and I certainly write about things that are happening that are both personal and public. I did a lot of reflecting and putting my thoughts on paper (or my computer screen) when the tragedy of the terrorist attacks on 9-11-01 took place. I wrote, too, about the Gulf War, Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti. At some point in my personal memoirs there will be places to include these reflections and the perspective they gave to my life.

Just last week I was reminded of the space shuttle disaster in 1986 (ABC News 25th anniversary story). The Discovery broke apart shortly after its launch and all of the astronauts, including the first teacher to fly on the space shuttle, were killed. I am now embarking on a new career as a teacher so the legacy of Christa McAuliffe impacts me in a whole different way than when the event occurred. I also have my memories of broadcasting live on the radio that fateful morning of January 28, 1986 and having the responsibility of relaying the tragic news to our station’s audience. It affected me deeply. That day I spent a few hours in the radio station production room creating an audio memorial that I aired several times over the next few days. I used clips of songs that fit thematically along with the audio of President Reagan mentioning the astronaut’s names and it stirred me on a deep emotional level. It’s a life experience – the event and how I processed it – that is part of my story.

How are you looking at the world today and considering your own life in the context of events? Are you using social media and the Internet stream to inform you and allow you to reflect and comment? The ever flowing rush of information will continue and is part of our world. It is impacting us whether we acknowledge it or not. Not all of it may be for good or our benefit, but the river keeps moving, and I’m finding it to be a fascinating part of our lives.

Read other articles on life-story writing here.

Resources You Can Use

Recently we came across a great new book, Your Legacy of Love: Realize the Gift in Goodbye, by multiple award-winning author, Gemini Adams, which has an entire chapter dedicated to writing and sharing your Life Story. This practical guidebook provides a wealth of creative ideas and resources. We featured it in our last email issue and for a very limited time you can still purchase it for a 50% discount – half off! Go here for the special link. This special offer to you will end on February 14, 2011. You can find out more about this special book and the Realize the Gift in Goodbye project at our Highlight Site.

The Journal Software

This issue mentions the value of keeping a journal. I’ve personally found The Journal to be incredibly helpful in so many ways for my journaling needs. You can try it out risk free with a money back guarantee. Get my up close review 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