CREATING A LEGACY BIO part 19

The story of your life is your opportunity to set the record straight. It is a legacy that will be cherished by its readers, an invaluable addition to your family tree and a personal history that clarifies your place in time and space. These 20 templates may seem daunting to some and incredibly skimpy to others when it comes to presenting your autobiography but you can choose how you approach the subject of YOU. Fill in all of the blanks, some of the blanks, or expand to capture the other details of your life not covered here. We will spend some time in the final segment looking at various options for creating the physical Legacy Bio and how and when to share it with others.

Life is full of moments, some good, some bad, some embarrassing, and a few that are inexplicable. There are moments of strength and courage and a few that we would take back if we could. Following is a list of prompts to show some of those moments in your life. You may want to use one word answers but it is far more fun if you include an explanation:

Did you ever:

steal something

appear nude – on purpose

have to go to the emergency room

tell off an authority figure (teacher, boss, policeman, customs agent, etc.)

fail a grade

skip a grade

find yourself giggling uncontrollably at a funeral or wedding

appear on TV

pick something up from the floor and eat it

pretend you were someone else

hitchhike

skinny dip (who with)

pray for a miracle

witness a miracle

break a bone

bungee jump

swim with sharks

pet a dangerous animal

shoot a gun

risk your life to save someone else

join any cults or weird organizations

meet someone really famous

hit on someone you shouldn’t have

run away from home

Have you ever been told that you have an exact “double”? Is there someone out there travelling the world who is a duplicate of you?

Let’s suppose that you could clone yourself – would you?

If you created a clone, what characteristics would they have, what strengths, life goals, successes, or challenges would they have?

If you had an “evil twin,” describe who they would be, what they would do and what their life would be like. Have you ever been tempted to live that “evil twin” life yourself?

If you could see 5 years into the future – would you do it?

What would you want to know?

What would you NOT want to know?

We are rapidly coming to the end of our personal memoir templates – one more next week. If you were to set aside one hour per week to complete this project, you would be creating a valuable, interesting and story of your life to be shared with the many people who are interested in your life and times. What an unselfish act of love that your are creating. If you decide to share and assist someone else in creating their own Legacy Bio, not only will they be forever grateful, so will their family and friends. What a wonderful thing you would be doing for someone else. As you position your own life within the context of the history that has happened around you, you bring a personal connection for the reader that cannot be found in any other way. Just do it!

CREATING A LEGACY BIO part 18

Perhaps you think that your personal history is not very important in this world of information – you could not be more wrong. bow-river-1Many people think that in a world of Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagam and all the other social sharing platforms that there is too much personal information out there already. But think about that for a minute. All of that information tends to be a mile wide and an inch deep, including our own. Spending the time to create your personal history offers an in-depth view of a person who cares about the legacy they are leaving to others. The time spent in this endeavor will enrich the lives of your family and friends in so many more ways than a few posts of vacation pictures and embarrassing moments. By completing your Legacy Biography, you are revealing yourself to be the person you really are – take the plunge for your own benefit, if not the benefit of others.

Do you remember the first time that you experienced the death of someone you knew? Who was it and how did you feel about it?

Do you believe in an after life? What happens after someone dies? Heaven, hell, reincarnation, nothing, something else?

Do you want to be buried, cremated or something else? If you were cremated, what would you want done with your ashes?

How do you want people to remember you?

If you could write 5 sentences of your eulogy, what would they be?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What is the most unique, strangest or weirdest thing about yourself that no one else knows about?

When you look at the world or universe around you, what is the most awe-inspiring thing about it?

If there was one rule or law that you could add to humanity, what would it be?

If you could cancel one common practice in society, what would you eliminate?

What is your biggest fear?

If you could wave your magic wand and eliminate that fear, what would you replace it with?

In what ways are you courageous?

Did you ever get involved in something that you were sorry for, or are you sorry that you did not get more involved?

If you could create your ideal “15 minutes of fame” without any repercussions or conditions (talent, money, experience, knowledge, etc.) what would you do?

If you could add a tag line to your name, what would it be?

Do you have any unfinished business with anyone? What needs to be said or done to complete this situation?

What is the most important or unpleasant task that you habitually put off or avoid?

What are the least important tasks that you fill your time with?

What scares you the most about dying?

What brings you the most joy about living?

Would you like to know some of these answers about your own parents or other family members? Do you see the value in sharing this information with them? If so, then offer to help them prepare their own personal history or story. At the very least, share this program with people who would find value and a sense of completion by working on their Legacy Bio.

CREATING A LEGACY BIO part 17

Creating your own biography as a legacy for others is inspiring but there may be people in your life that you would like to see do the same thing. If so, then please share this on your Facebook or other social media platforms. I will be making a complete PDF available in the not too distant future and then a book and possibly a video series but help others get started on their personal history by clicking the share buttons on this page.inner-journey-3

THE INNER JOURNEY

A chronicle of our life journey would not be complete without mentioning the many changes that have occurred to us on the trip. According to some sources, every cell in our body is replaced in a 7 year period, so it should not surprise anyone that we have often made significant changes in our lives. If we have been open to what has been happening in our world, then we may have changed our viewpoints, attitudes, outlook, opinions, politics, spirituality, ideas … or not. Either way, it is a significant clue to who you are.

Name 3 (or more) core values that define your life and your philosophy. What are the personal beliefs that you live by?

What has been the best day of your life to date and why?

Projecting into the future, what could become the best day of your life?

We talk about living a “balanced” life – how well do you balance work with the rest of your life?

How well do you balance self evaluation with outside criticism?

Do you have a balance between the needs of others and your own needs – illustrate?

If you had no considerations around money, obligations, family, work or anything else – where would you live?

Given the previous lack of conditions, who or what kind of person, would you choose to live with?

What would you do with your time?

Fill in the blanks:

I should stop:

I would be better off without:

I need more:

I need less:

I should spend more time with:

It’s about time I:

I need to give myself:

What 5 things do you absolutely want to experience before you die?

What is the major thing that you could do when you were younger that you would like to be able to do now?

If a movie was created about your life, what would the title be?

Is there one over-powering thing or experience that you wish you had done in you life?

If you could change one decision in your past, what would it be?

What is the best decision you ever made?

I hope the experience of working on your life journal has been revealing, insightful and satisfying. There a few more chapters in this series as we bring alive the story of your life. If you have any suggestions for improving this series, I would welcome your thoughts.