FEELING EVERYTHING

Issue 43

Feeling joy, feeling like I’m totally on fire with a new direction, feeling clarity and feeling an abundance of love and hope. I’m just feeling everything, deeply. Even after the pain of loss, I feel a tremendous uplift...

The past few weeks have taught me more about human connection, the value of our choices and what it means to truly leave a legacy, how that feels and what that needs to look like in life and beyond the grave.

Most might argue that there is no right or wrong way to document, I’m here to boldly declare the opposite. As my dad would say “the main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing”. Here me out friends...

I’m not talking about your aesthetic style, or how you articulate your stories/living memories, I’m talking about your investment of time.

There absolutely is a right way to invest your time for each and every person and there are specific and defining stories about your life that simply need your voice.

I have been asking memory keepers for well over a decade “what obstacles do you experience with your memory keeping?” and “what do you feel you need help with?”

The answers are never ever, more product! Bold of me to share, since I make my living designing and selling product. Over 85% of memory keepers who have responded to these questions experience difficulties with conservation of time, namely they wish they had “more time” to document, and the not so surprising answer to “how can we help you”, is always a resounding “I need motivation and inspiration”. Again, it is not about more product!!!

Are you surprised by these answers or do you feel the same? [love to learn your thoughts on this in the comment section.]

In all of the responses the *main thing has received the least attention to solving the dilemma of no time and lack of motivation. *Personal choice and investment of time.

Preparation & planning are key to the successes we experience. They create the “luck” you hear of, that others experience. We can’t invent more time and motivation never presents itself whilst waiting to see what it looks and feels like. The main thing is simply, action.

The main thing or antidote simply is action.

Typically, if we need more time that means reviewing how we spend, invest our time. More importantly this response requires a review of our priorities and skills. I know, harsh , yikes, however it’s taken me decades to develop and continuing learning personal discipline and management of my resources to know this.

Perhaps what this reply from memory keepers is averting to is not necessarily the need for more time but simply the need to eliminate the overwhelm of decision paralysis and the perfectionist plague; what and how to start recording your living memories and how to create a personalised plan for success!

My thoughts on motivation are born from the trials of personal experience. I don’t believe in motivation, I believe in personal and sustaining discipline. If I waited to feel motivated to get things done, I would be failing in my life pursuits. Trust me, I know first hand the disappointment of lost opportunities, wasted time and the pursuit of things that don’t add value to your life.

The key or main thing to consider is your personal action plan. Yep, that’s right and on repeat, make time to wisely plan. Kept it simply and flexible. I document on Sunday my personal and family history. This act of sharing a portion of myself I consider to be sacred, so it requires my full attention and investment.

Documenting your living memories is less about passion and more about connection. It is less about motivation and more about discipline.

What my fathers death emphasised to me, the legacy that lies in the dash between your birth and death dates, can only be authored by you. You are the only expert on your life’s experiences therefore you should be the one voicing them.

And oh what comfort his personal discipline and pursuit to share his stories, the ones that moulded his character and life, have brought to our family in the discomfort and distress of his death.

Successful memory keeping is about conservation of time, and there is a right way to do that. Our immediate choices will determine our outcome and successes. What’s important to you will always determine what you do! It’s that simple.