Life Story Lady

When You Look Back, How Will You See Your Life?

What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner. ~  Sidonie Colette

When I came across the quote above, I realized how true it is, that many of us miss life as it's going by. We're either "waiting until" something great and wonderful happens in our life, or we don't really appreciate the good things that do come along. Much later, we look back and see that most of life was more fun than we knew at the time. But we missed the enjoyment of it.

Imagine a child going to Disneyland for the first time, and just wandering through the grounds, shrugging his shoulders as the exciting rides are pointed out, acting bored, or perhaps even aggravated at the crowds.

You'd be hard pressed to find a child acting that way in Disneyland. Kids don't notice the minor frustrations, they're more likely to take advantage of every possible activity, and enjoy every minute. They will keep going until they finally collapse in exhausted happiness.

Somewhere along the way, as we grow up, we lose that enthusiasm. We begin to focus more on the negatives than the positives in life. We miss all the good times, because we're complaining about the imperfections. We don't enjoy the steak, because the coffee wasn't great.

I know... I'm not supposed to be writing about attitude here, and I'm not, really. But what I hope to do is have you write your life story not just as a history book, but also as a story––a life––that you've created. Make it what you want it to be! Make it fun, interesting, challenging! Write your life in the future.

Yes, life an be tough, and we all have problems. But that doesn't mean we still can't have a wonderful time along the way. If you're too broke to go out to dinner, get a bag of 99¢ hamburgers and go to the park. If you can't manage an out of state vacation, see some sights in your own town that you've missed. Make life fun as you go. Look for the good in all situations, and enjoy everything you do. Make life fun!

Don't wait until many years have gone by, only to look back and realize you just wandered through the Disneyland of your life without enjoying the rides!

Fun exercise: Write a "chapter" of your future life story - as you'd like to have it happen! Write about the vacation you've always wanted to take - as if you'd already done it! Then figure out how to create that experience.

 

Surprises - Good or Bad - make Memories

"So... how's that' 'write a blog post every day in January' working out for you?," a friend had the nerve to ask. Well, obviously, not very well. First I got sick, then I had company from out of town. I figured I could still write during that time, but you know how it is... you run around all day, talk late into the evening, then you're tired. Things happen.

I will state here that it was NOT a resolution to do the daily post, just a goal I set for myself. Yes, I've failed at the goal, but I haven't failed completely in my mission, because I'm still writing, and I will continue to do so.

The surprise (bad) to me was that I would allow so many things to interfere with reaching that goal. But we readjust and move on. The only real failure is giving up.

Now how about good surprises. I've actually been helping this same friend plan a surprise visit to his family here in Arizona. They were totally blown away, and it was fun for me to be a part of it. Years ago, when our son was at West Point, he surprised us with a visit home when we didn't expect him, and a family friend was instrumental in making that happen. It made a wonderful memory for all of us.

Another amazing surprise was when my husband had this same family friend lure me to the airport under false pretenses, and hubby was there waiting to whisk me onto an airplane for a surprise trip to San Francisco for our 20th wedding anniversary. Our kids were in on it, had packed my bags, and were there to see us off. What a great time that was!

What has been the biggest surprise in your life? An unexpected visit from someone you love or hadn't seen in years? A huge gift, like a new car? An unexpected trip?

Write about one of the best surprises you remember - even if it goes back to your childhood. If you can't think of any - maybe you need more spontaneity in your life! Plan a surprise for someone else, and see how good it will make you feel! And then document it all in words and pictures and present it as a gift to the subject.

NOT a Resolution... Just a Goal

Happy New Year to everyone!

No, I don't make resolutions, but I do set goals for myself for the coming year. One of my goals for 2011 is to be more consistent in my blog posts. My plan is to post something every day during January. (Well, yes, I know today is already January second, but yesterday was a holiday! Hmmm - I think I see my problem.) If I can do this for a month, when I cut back to two or three posts a week in February - it'll seem so much easier.

How about you? Do you make resolutions? Do you set goals? Do you look back on the past year, reflect, and think about what you might have done better - or at least differently?

If you set goals or make resolutions, be sure to include writing your memories somewhere in there. Set a goal to write two stories a week, even if it's just a couple of paragraphs about a special time in your life. Or your goal might be to have 50 chapters done by the end of the year. If you break writing your life story into small, manageable chunks, it'll be so much easier to envision...and achieve!

And as you reflect back on 2010, jot down some notes on the important events from the year that you'd like to remember and share. Did you start a new business? Retire? Have a child? A grandchild? Take a long-planned trip? Buy a house? Struggle with an illness?

Write about the successes, challenges, or adventures while they're fresh in your mind.

You'll be surprised how easy it is to write about your life - one story at a time!

Let me know how it's coming along!  See you tomorrow!