Mapping your story
a tip to telling your stories without drawing a blank
(After recording my memory, I photographed the location where it occurred)
Recently I went to a class about writing your life stories. I wanted to share with you one way I learned to keep from drawing a blank when you want to write about a life experience. This can help with journaling, writing your history, or even coming up with ideas for what to share in the reels I create using your beautiful images!
The teachers had us start with a blank page. On it we mapped out the neighborhood we grew up in. Just a rough sketch of where your house was and a few blocks around it. Then we sketched a basic blueprint of the inside of the house we grew up in.
Next we were asked to add numbers to different locations on our map. Each number represented a certain type of event.For example, put a #1 anywhere that you had a good memory, a #2 where you had something scary happen, a #3 where you had an influential conversation with someone…and so forth.
We were only given a short amount of time for this and here is my very rudimentary drawing of what they asked us to do!
I was actually amazed at what I started to remember as they described the types of events associated with each number. Because I am such a visual person, having something to stare at (even as simple as this drawing) helped bring memories to the surface that I hadn’t thought of in years.
We added our numbers and then took 10 min to write about one of the events we put on our page. I chose a very special spiritual experience that I wasn’t sure if I had recorded. I wrote fast and from my heart, but the words seemed to pour out. It seemed that once the energy of choosing a topic was over my brain still had the mental ability to write something!
After we finished writing we were assigned a number at our table. The teacher’s next words brought instant heat to my face and tears to my eyes. “If you are a #2 would you please stand up and share your story out loud.”
It was unexpected, and my story was personal. I was crying even before I stood up. I could have said no, but I remembered that a big reason to write our stories is to share. To inspire and uplift. To create connection, and to learn from. Hopefully someone in this class would be helped by my words tonight.
Here is the story I shared…
“At a time in my life when I was at a crossroads, I sat on this hill. I came up alone in the evening. I came right before I was told the answer to a question/struggle I was in the middle of.
It was the perfect temperature, beautiful sunset colors, peaceful, and alone.
I came to commune. Commune with my God. To pour out my heart. To tell him of my fears and unknown outcomes. To cry. To bond. To trust.
I came to tell him everything that he already knew...but I had to say it out loud in order to know it for myself.
Here I told God that I put my trust in him. That no matter the outcome of the decision I was waiting on, I knew that if I stood in his hands it would be ok. Life would continue and it would be blessed.
I said it out loud. I said it to God, but for my own ears to hear and for my heart to follow.
I left this place in peace. I did not yet know the answer, but that night I learned that we don’t always need the answers to feel peaceful.
Even now, as I head down paths with unknown outcomes, I pray and at peace. As a whole. The daily isn’t always easy, but the end is known. Maybe not to me, but to Him - and that’s all I need to know.”
This letter isn’t perfect.
The wording may not be just right, the punctuation could be better, and it could definitely be picked over, edited, and lots more details added. But even if this is the only version of this experience that I ever put down..it is enough.
It is enough to have remembered this experience from years ago, learned something from it, recorded it last night, and reflected on how this experience has impacted my life. A few friends said that this reminded them of their own spiritual experiences that they now remembered and wanted to record.
It is enough to know that my children may read this and know a special part of me. Hopefully it will connect us at a deeper level…maybe at a time in their life when they are figuring out what “trust in God” means to them.
After recording this on paper I went to the location of this experience and took a photo (the photo at the top of this post). It was about the same time of day and brought back even stronger memories and feelings from this special moment in my life.
I am so glad to have more numbers on my map to reflect on and record! I hope that you can use some version of this to help you remember and record your own life stories.
Record a piece of your existence
Preserve it where you can find it again
Reflect on your experiences so that you can remember what you have learned.
happy writing!!!
