Your Life is Your Story, Issue #213

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Your Life is Your Story, Issue #213 – Twists and Turns
June 04, 2024

Greetings

"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."

Your Life is Your Story Newsletter

June 4, 2024
Issue #213– Twists and Turns

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

In this Issue:
Opening remarks: Summer Song
Featured Article – Twists and Turns
Featured Resource – French Twist, A Memoir

Opening Remarks: Summer Song

Oh the song of summer! Do you know it? It’s birds chirping in the early morning, soft breezes on a walk or hike, people outside enjoying the warmth and the leisurely invitation to a picnic or other outdoor activity, and so much more.

It’s a song in my heart that I hear each summer, especially at the start of the season. June is, for many reasons, one of my most favorite months. Perhaps the best month of the year.

As a kid June was the start of something great. School was out, baseball was in, bike rides, long days at the pool, and just plain old hanging out. Our parents even encouraged it when we were driving them nuts in the house. "Go outside and play! And don’t come back until the streetlights come on." Of course, times have changed and you don’t send unsupervised children out to play in the streets, even if your neighborhood is seemingly safe from the perils that exist. Too bad–but the way the world is.

At any rate, I still hear the siren call of the summer song. Glad another June is here at last.

Thank you so much for being part of the Your Life Is Your Story community. Thanks to all our subscribers. I hope you enjoy this month’s issue.

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.

– Tom

Twists and Turns

How often do we navigate twists and turns in our lives? It seems like everyday. We have so many choices and daily decisions to make. Often we need to determine which direction we should go, sometimes literally, other times more metaphorically, such as making life decisions about things like life, work and relationships.

Do you over analyze these choices? Have you ever heard the expression paralysis of analysis?

I am more of a "go with the flow" kind of person. Yes, I do make plans and I do make choices. But I also like to let life unfold and see what surprises may come along. Granted, this is easier these days as I am in my latter half of life and I don’t have the same responsibilities I did when my children were young or I was building a career.

A Long, Strange Trip

The Grateful Dead’s phrase, "What a long strange trip it’s been" (Truckin’) aptly describes a lot of my life. When I look back and reflect on some experiences there certainly have been surprises. Some good, some more challenging. But it is life and it’s not a straight line from birth to death.

The twists and turns we make in life might seem complicated. In the end, a good life lived comes down to simple things like caring for others and appreciating each day.

One of the ways you can apply "twists and turns" to your memoir or life story writing is to build suspense for your readers. Show them some of the unexpected twists and turns that have occurred in your life. We all have them. What were the outcomes? How did it affect you? Did these twists and turns change you? And if so, how?

I think one of the best reasons for sharing your life story is to pass along the experiences and lessons you have learned. You can do that with a memoir. You’ve got a story–everyone does!

Read other helpful articles.

Featured Resource: French Twist, A Memoir

French Twist–A Tale of Travel, Testing and Triumph is about to be released to the world. It’s the incredible story of Janine Winters, a strong and brave woman who trusted me to tell her story. Her life experiences and my writing.

French Twist is a remarkable memoir of resilience, faith, and deep bonds that endure through time. It offers a revelatory glimpse of a life in all its complexity, challenge, and triumph. Janine Winters grew up with a father with a criminal history, a stalwart and inspiring mother, an intelligent and generous brother, and a strong and precocious sister. In the face of conflicts with her father, she moves with her mother, brother, and sister from an independence-seeking Morocco to an equally turbulent Algeria. There Janine has to discover herself and begin forging a life that is her own. She finds love and experiences the birth of a new child. This takes her and her family further away from home, as they learn to adapt to ever-changing circumstances and unexpected difficulties. At every turn, however, Janine’s resilience prevails. Her enterprising spirit, manifest in the great diversity of jobs she successfully holds, navigates her through impasses to a life that fulfills her. Let her search for this life of meaning and lasting love be an inspiration for readers embarking on a quest to live their own lives fully.

The book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and will be released on June 12, 2024. For more information see French Twist: A Tale of Travel, Testing and Triumph.

Closing Information

That’s it for this month’s issue. Thanks for reading. Here’s to telling your story. Do give it some serious consideration because I just know you’ve got a great story to tell! Be sure to see the Get Started section.

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!