Share who you are, not what you do

Do you think your future family wants to know about WHAT you do or WHO you are?

I would make a bet that it’s the latter. If they want to know about your job, business or achievements, they can find all that on paper and online.  Sharing who you are on video in a life story memoir is going to give them insights that they won’t get from reading about where you worked, etc. They will get to know the real you.

Start small, but start today.

Here’s 3 questions to answer on camera to get you started:

1. What are your hopes & dreams?

Do you want to live abroad when you retire, do you want to start a tap dancing class, are you helping to save our precious planet…. sharing these will help future generations get to know the real YOU.

2. Who do you look up to? Who is your hero?

Sharing your heroes can also give great insight into who you are and what you care about. Heroes don’t have to be famous people either – perhaps your Dad is your hero (for me this is 100% true). We all have heroes or people who make a real difference in our lives, so give them a cameo role in your life story memoir.

3. What makes your family unique?

If you have something that makes your family unique, then share it in your memoir video. In our family, we have a tradition that every big birthday is celebrated by creating a song or poem about the birthday person. Everyone gets to add a verse or tweak the song (my sister is the main songwriter though and very good at it!).

Take time today to jot down a few ideas – and then record them with your phone or camera. It doesn’t need to be perfect, and it will be something that your family will love, both now and in the future.

Remember – your family wants to inherit your stories, not your stuff.

Resources & Links

10 Tips for Video Confidence (Free E-book)

https://www.movingmemories.nz/top-10-tips-for-video-confidence/

Free list of 30 life story interview questions:

https://www.movingmemories.nz/30-life-story-questions/

My YouTube channel – Saving Family Memories (new videos are uploaded each fortnight):

https://www.youtube.com/@savingfamilymemories

Books I recommend:

Your Story How to write it so Others Will Want to Read it – by Joanne Felder:

https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/ZdP2ZK

The Stories We Tell – Every Piece of your Story Matters – by Joanna Gaines

https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/6eeMyE

(These book links are affiliate links and for delivery only in NZ & Australia –  I receive a small commission from Booktopia at no additional cost to you).