"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: Juneful of Memories

First, there are all the birthdays. My sister-in-law was born on June 2 and I have three nephews with June birthdays – the 4th, 20th and 21st. My parents were married June 14. Mom passed away June 15, 2006 (five years ago and one day after my parents’ 55th wedding anniversary). I ran my first half-marathon on June 5, 2006. And twenty years ago on June 22 I had a spiritual experience that led to a completely new way of life. In fact, if I hadn’t “bottomed out” and accepted the help I needed I likely wouldn’t even be alive today. If I hadn’t changed my ways and was still alive today I’m sure I would be miserable.

Furthermore, I’ve recently completed some education for a career transition to teaching. I’m now licensed to teach K-8 grade and on June 13 I was hired to teach Social Studies to 6, 7 & 8 graders starting in August. So, you can see that June is a special month for me. I honor each of these days and they are special markers to key events in my life, something I write about more in this issue’s featured article, Five Key Events.

Thanks for reading this issue. There was a break of a couple of months between issues, the first time that’s happened in 8 years, but a lot of things have been happening in my life. For those of you who continue to subscribe and to all the new readers: thanks for being part of the life journey!

You are receiving this e-zine because you signed up for it or someone who is subscribed passed it along to you. 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: Five Key Events

People like lists. And lists are a great way to help organize the material that goes into your life story. The challenge is to find the key events that shape your story.

One approach is to come up with a small enough number to force you to prioritize. To get to five key events in your life you may start with a much bigger number. That’s a not a bad thing. I’ve suggested before that you create a memory list. This list can, and probably should be, extensive. It can be short phrases that identify important life happenings. The first toy you remember. Starting school. First car. First job. First love. Lots of firsts, but there can be much more.

Recently I was following a social media discussion about the five key events you would put in your story. It’s a worthwhile exercise. I offer you a sample. They happen to be important events in my own life. I won’t say they are the definitive five, but they have to be pretty close and I would surely include them in my life story.

1. Getting married and the birth of my children. There is a bit of stretching here because it is not just one event, but I can’t really separate marrying my wife and the birth of our two children. This “event” spans eight and a half years and it forms the nucleus of our family.

2. My mother’s death. Mom and I had our sparring times when I was a teenage. By the time of her death we’d grown close on many levels, including spirituality. Being with her during her final week and her final breaths was incredibly sad and joyful at the same time – quite the paradox.

3. Running my first marathon. I had turned 50 the month before and I had already run my first half marathon seven months prior. But running 26.2 miles and doing it to raise money for cancer research has had a profound effect on my life.

4. A life-changing turning point. I choose not to reveal the specifics, but twenty years ago I hit a bottom and accepted help and it led to a whole new way of living that continues each and every day.

5. Becoming a teacher. At the end of 2008 I lost a job because of the recession. Like many people it meant financial hardship and soul searching. Eventually it led me to realize a calling to fulfill a new purpose in life. I went back to school, got certified to teach and in August I will start a new career as a Social Studies educator to mid-schoolers. It will be an amazing learning experience for both the students and me.

You’ve got a story made up of various important events. Why not try putting together your list?

Read other articles on life-story writing here.

Resource You Can Use

David Michael has created a great product with The Journal. It's easy to use, versatile and fun. And there is excellent customer support

Starting at just $49.95, this is a great bargain for top-notch journaling software. But, you can even download and try The Journal free for 45 days. Plus, The Journal is backed by a 100% risk free 30-day money back guarantee. You can get more information 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