"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: Eat, Pray and Listen

Borrowing from Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir title, Eat, Pray, Love, and tweaking it a bit, this Thanksgiving I plan to “eat, pray and listen”. Our family will gather around the table and we will give prayerful thanks for our blessings and enjoy a hearty meal. We will also talk and share stories. The stories are part of our history, worth sharing and preserving. So take the time to listen. Maybe you will even do what StoryCorps is encouraging for the holiday – The Great Thanksgiving Listen

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Thanks for reading. – Tom

Featured Article: Gratitude is Good for You

You’ve probably been taught to say “thank you” when someone does something nice for you. According to a fair amount of research it’s not just good manners, it’s also good for you. In fact, having an attitude of gratitude is a great way to improve your physical, emotional and mental health. I’ve long suspected this. On the GGSC Science of Meaningful Life) website I found supporting information about how gratitude is good for you. According to Robert Emmons, a leading expert on the science of gratitude, you can cultivate gratitude with lists, letters and a gratitude journal. He calls gratitude an “affirmation of goodness”. You can read more with Emmons’ article Why Gratitude Is Good.

This is good news for anyone working on their memoir or life story.

I will frequently write in my journal about the things I am grateful for. I record those times when I am grateful and why. It is important how it makes me feel and I have discovered that I need to write about this as it helps me put into perspective the totality of my experiences. It is often all too easy to complain and feel like things aren’t good, when in actuality I have many things to be grateful for on a daily basis. If you haven’t yet tried making a gratitude list I highly recommend it.

The Thanksgiving Holiday is an excellent time to get reflective as you gather with family for the traditional meal. Make time to tell others what you appreciate about them. Give thanks for the stories and values passed down to you from family elders. Listen to the wisdom, experience the sensation that being thankful has on your for knowing more about your family history. Your journey will surely have its ups and downs, but the hard times help us grow and so you can even be grateful for your difficulties.

You can read other life story articles here.

Featured Resource: Getting Started with Your Personal History

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