Tip #24: Document Your Story
In the countless quiet hours I’ve spent with my journal, I have recorded moments both simple and emotionally inundating, I have scratched wounds wide open in order to start the healing process; I have recorded my vices with a trembling hand and laughed out loud at them later; I have identified some of my more glaring flaws with the hopes of correcting them; I inspired myself, I embarrassed myself, I stunned myself; I found the career I want to have, and the woman I want to be…”
-Samara O’Shea
How often do you reflect on the ordinary moments that occur during the day? In the past, I rarely thought about these details until something forced me to (ex. an unmet goal – what went wrong?). Reflecting from this negative mindset, I found myself focusing on the holes and mishaps. They become magnified over time. For my sister’s 21st birthday, I created a scrapbook to document our lives together. It was an incredible process that opened my eyes to the power of documenting the ordinary and not-so-ordinary stuff that occurs every single day. I naturally gravitated towards journaling and now do it every night before I go to sleep. Reading through my journal, I am able to read my own story — and realize the true power within every single day. I now see the positives much more so than the holes in my journey. Those holes do exist, but carry little weight when compared to the positive memories.
Now, find a way to document your own story. We all have a story to tell. Remember that your story is just as important as any other individual’s story. Think about activities you enjoy – painting, music, writing, reading – and experiment with ways to document your day to day life. Your imagination can take you anywhere – think outside the box.
Take Home Message:
Focus on the process, not the outcome. Create a treasury of memories that tell your story – through your eyes.
What people are saying
— Gay Hendricks, New York Times bestselling author of The Big Leap and Conscious Living Read morePerseverance puts a very human face on courage and strength. Carolyn and the young people she has worked with are an inspiration to us all.