writing your life's story

In Louise Hay's book, Love Yourself, Heal Your Life Workbook, one of the exercises is writing out "Your Story". This turned out to be one of the most powerful exercises in the book for me, and I encourage you to do it.

At one time or another, all of us tell stories about our past to friends. When you do this, you put the past in perspective with today's experiences. However, most of us don't sit down and write out our life story, starting with "I was born . . ." and to do so is very enlightening. You may be surprised at the things you write and decide that they aren't true or relevant today.

My own story ended up being 13 pages typed in 12 pt font! I have gone back into it and edited it, added to it, and reread it several times since I first sat down to write it. Each time I read it, I find things that are not true, or not fair, in the way that I initially wrote them. This has caused me to examine and define my beliefs about myself as well.

I have encouraged several people to do this since I did it last month. I have developed a series of questions to help spur you on. Typing the story into a word processor is good because you will find that you want to go back in and add things at various points. Memories will stir earlier memories and by typing it you can go back and put it in the correct place chronologically.

When writing your story, consider the following questions, if applicable.

Who was already in your family when you were born?
Where did your parents bring you home from?
What were your parents like before you were born? Where were they from? What did they do?
Was there anything unusual about your birth?
Did you have siblings at that time? How old were they?
What is your earliest memory about your house?
What is your earliest memory about your siblings? Your parents?
What is your happiest childhood memory?
What event in your childhood had the most impact on your life as an adult?
What is your first memory about school?
Who was your favorite teacher?
What was your favorite subject in school?
What do you wish you would have learned more about in school?
What schoolmate had the most impact on your life? In what way?
Who was your first best friend? How did they influence your life?
What is your first memory about high school?
What did you learn about yourself in high school?
What was the first moment you felt truly grown up?
What was the first moment you felt independent?
How old were you when you began to drive?
Who gave you your first kiss?
Who was your first love?
What were your first experiences with sex like?
Who was the first person you wanted to marry?
What is your best memory as a teenager with your friends?
What was the best party you went to when you were a teenager? What made it the best?
What was your first job?
How much was your first paycheck and what did you do with it?
What were your thoughts about college when you were in high school?
What schooling did you go to after high school?
What did you think you would do with your life after you graduated high school?
What did you think about marriage and kids when you graduated from high school?
What did you do on your 21st birthday? Who was with you?
What other important relationships did you have after high school?
What was your wedding day like?
What was the funniest thing that happened at your wedding?
What moment in your life have you felt most loved?
What did you do on your 30th birthday?
What were you like when your children were born?
What are your children like?
Which one of your children is most like you?
Which one of your parents are you most like?
How are your children different than you thought they would be?
How have you surprised yourself?
What have you done that you never thought you would do?
What was the greatest challenge of your life so far?
What do you wish you had done differently?
Who do you wish you could see again?
Who was the lost love of your life?
What word would you most like people to associate with you?
How old were you when you started to accept your own value?
In retrospect, who was the biggest influence on your life? Was the influence positive or negative?
What is great about your life right now?
What could be better about your life?
What things are you doing to make your life better right now?
What is your family like now?
What do you think the future holds for you?