Jane E. Saylor
The Road You’ve Traveled is a valuable how-to which assists people in recording their life. Each chapter contains tips, ideas, and a tank of mental gasoline to help you recall lost memories. Your thoughts will be well organized as you journal your past and allow yourself the opportunity to choose the right roads into your future.
This book was created out of a series of lesson plans which were researched and developed in 2002 for the purpose of teaching senior citizens how to write their life story. In the process of teaching these lessons, the realization came that people of any age can benefit from this process. It’s been said by many to be therapeutic; some have been able to come to terms with their past and have learned to welcome their future with enthusiasm.
You don’t need a “vehicle” to get you into the future, just a map, a map with other roads that will cross here and there and offer you choices. These are choices you’ll be better able to make if you have a general destination in mind. Follow your intuition, listen, and enjoy life because this is not a dress rehearsal, this is the main stage and most importantly enjoy every day, and every moment. No other moment will be just like it. No other person will live your life as you will.
Enjoy the road that you choose to travel!
To the Reader:
We have all had hardships throughout life that we try to overcome; my hope is that I’m able to help others to understand life is a journey. Every step, grand experience or not has been important. How we choose to view the past leads us directly into the future. Personally, I have a tremendous excitement for what is yet to come and through writing and speaking have discovered my life purpose.
I have no scholarly credentials although I have been described as having a disgustingly positive attitude. I’ve come to terms with nearly all of the hardships of my life and hope to give others a glimmer of optimism and inspire them to discover their own life purpose.
Enjoy Life,
Jane E Saylor, dPA
(disgustingly Positive Attitude)
Introduction
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hold in your hands a written legacy about the lives of your parents?
Think of the stories that your parents told you about the events that occurred during their lives. Odds are their lives were very different from your own, just as your life is very different from the present generation. Even though we are all unique and have our own experiences, there are still similarities throughout the generations. By recording your feelings during the events in your life, you’ll help others who will read your writings in the future. For instance, by writing about the way you survived a traumatic event could allow someone else to get through a traumatic event in their own life.
How different are future generations going to be? No one knows, but you can help bridge the gap between the generations by writing about the events in your life and by doing so, you’ll be leaving a cherished treasure for your future generations to hold in their hands.
This is your opportunity to choose what you want to be remembered for; you get to leave your legacy! You’ll be able to give your viewpoints, set the record straight, and let others know the reasons for some of the choices you’ve made.
Some people I’ve taught have said, “Nobody would be interested in reading about my life.” I’m always quick to tell them, “That’s sheer poppy cock!” Again, think about how great it would be to have the lives of your parents and grandparents written so you as well as future generations can learn from their memories? If you are fortunate enough to have this information, how wonderful! If not, why not start now, with your life? Everyone has a story! And just as there are no two fingerprints alike; there have also been no two lives alike. There are lessons you’ve learned that could help others, not to mention your family will cherish anything and everything you write, no matter the topic!
Most people write their life stories for family members, sons, daughters, grandchildren and future generations. But who says you need to write for anyone other than yourself?
Some people may only want to record a section of their life; their life before marriage, after marriage, before children, after children, an exceptional summer, you get the idea. Your Travelogue (described in chapter 1) will help you get organized no matter how much of your life you want to record, a little or every bit of it.
