The Big 3 Reasons to Write Your Memoirs
There are plenty of sound and sensible reasons for a person to write his or her memoirs. But there are 3 BIG ones that make the case more powerfully than any other.
Reason No.1: FOR THE RECORD.
Everyone wants their life story to be told accurately. The best way to insure that happens is to write it yourself. Rather than rely upon friends and relatives to get it right after you’ve gone, your autobiography will make sure that the facts are recorded correctly for the future. Nothing you can do will better preserve your legacy than writing your life story.
Reason No.2: FOR YOUR FAMILY.
Just as everyone has an interest in knowing about their own family’s ancestors and personal predecessors, we likewise want our heirs and descendants to know who we are or who we were. Preserving your life story will make sure that this is possible. A memoir book will endure far beyond the author’s lifetime. No other method is able to achieve this sort of literary immortality.
I am often pleased when I am approached by an adult child of one of my memoir clients with words such as these: “Wow! I’ve known my dad for my entire life and I never knew about all the amazing things he did until I read his book.”
People give a lot of thought about how to pass family wealth from one generation to the next. But passing on family values is equally, if not more important. There is no better way to achieve this vital goal than to chronicle and codify those values in a personal history book.
Reason No.3: FOR YOURSELF.
Studies have shown — and my own experience has shown in working with clients for more than 20 years — the many therapeutic advantages of writing one’s life story. The writer is required to look back on life episodes with the perspective of elapsed time and, as such, gains a new and deeper meaning into the critical inflection points of his or her life. Mental health experts agree that writing one’s autobiography is a cathartic and healing experience that delivers real world measurable benefits.
So, for the sake of history, for the sake of your grandchildren, and for Heaven’s sake…remember the big 3 reasons you should consider writing your own life story.
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