Your Legacy

You know who you are, but did you know there are actually many versions of you out in the world?

There are in fact, hundreds, if not THOUSANDS of versions of You out there. Everyone who has ever met you has created a picture/profile/backstory for You in their mind. Every person in your life carries around a version of You that you have never met. Some of the “You’s” might be heroes. Some might be villains. Some of them are so different that it will make you wonder what kind of impression you could have possibly made on them, and some of them might even be frighteningly close to the real You.

The truth is that only you know the real You.  That is why you need to tell your story. Why is your story important?  Well, think about your family history. Some of you may know who your grandfather was, where he was born and what he did in his life.  A small subset of you may even know who your great grandfather was. But what about those who came before? Roll back the clock and imagine if you knew who your ancestors were.  Better yet, not just who they were, but what they did in their lives. Maybe you are a little stubborn, or people have told you that you are very particular about certain things.  Ever wonder where that may have come from? Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out that you were a direct descendant of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?  Or perhaps maybe Napoléon Bonaparte or Joan of Arc.  More importantly who were the lesser known people in those past years that kept your family tree growing long before you were born?

Do you see how valuable your story is to those who follow after you?  What words of wisdom do you have to share? What have you been through that would be important for others to hear?  Perhaps your story can help prevent someone from making the same mistakes in their lives, or give them something to think about when they are feeling like their life has no purpose or meaning.  You may not think your life was all that interesting, and yet you could be an inspiration to someone you will never meet. If you don’t record your life story, you are robbing future generations of knowing who you were and the impact, big or small, that you had on the world.

Here are a couple more reasons to leave your legacy:

Leave your Mark:  Writing allows you to present YOUR side of a story – your interpretation of the facts in a way that allows you to connect with readers and share your triumphs, disappointments, joys, and trials.

Reconciling with the Past: Writing your autobiography gives you an opportunity to revisit the past and reconsider the events and circumstances with the perspective of wisdom and experience.

Writing your personal story can be a painful but cathartic exercise. Recalling times and people who were important in your life can stimulate simultaneous feelings of joy, nostalgia, and sadness. It is an exercise that requires thoughtful reflection and introspection, and it can be the one of the most satisfying experiences of your life, reinvigorating old relations, cherished memories and clarifying purpose.

It’s Time to Get Started

Recording your life story is undeniably important, whether you feel that you are interesting or not.  There is a chain of people starting with you that will go on for generations to come, and they deserve to know who you are.  Every day you delay is another day lost forever that increases the possibility that your story will never be told. Do not wait until it is too late, record your life story starting today.