I recently saw the film I’m Your Man, an acknowledgement concert for Leonard Cohen with a lot of great singers singing some of his best songs interspersed with an interview with the man himself. A nice tribute that gave me a bit more of a sense of him as a human being and the full extent of his contribution. One of the best parts of the film was his sharing that, for him, there were few or no regrets and very little concern or self-congratulatory thinking about what he has accomplished.

Not everyone is a songwriter/ poet /legend, but everyone has a story and has touched many lives in powerful ways. I got to thinking that it would be wonderful if everyone had a movie or video like this made about their life sometime around their 70th birthday. It would be a great chance to see and hear all the things that people had to say about a person, as well as an opportunity to get closure if there was anything left over from the past.

Not that the ‘personal storytelling’ would be some sort of a vanity trip, but it could be a way of acknowledging and completing where we are, a way to create even more space for the future. At the very least, it could be a starting point for organizing our reflections and perhaps appreciating that, just as others have made a difference in our lives, so have we made a difference in theirs.

If you were to think about creating a record of your ‘story’, what would you want to include? Here are a few suggestions about things to think about, but I’m sure there are many more questions to consider. Feel free to add to this list by posting a comment.

Dreams
•    When were you born and what were your parent’s dreams for you?
•    Where did you grow up and what was it like then and now?
•    What was your dream for your own future in high school?
•    What is your dream for your future today and for the rest of your life?

Relationships
•    Who was your ‘first love’?
•    Who were your best friends? What do they have to say about you today?
•    How and where did you get the most important aspects of your education either formally or informally?
•    Do you have children? What do they have to say about you?
•    Did you marry? How many times? What were the highest and lowest points? What do they say about you today?
•    Who were the most important mentors or influencers in your life? What do they say about you today?

Highs/Lows
•    What was the ‘worst’ thing you did in high school?
•    What were the most ‘defining moments’ in your life?
•    Did you ever get into serious trouble? What happened?
•    What is a funny story about your experience of growing up?
•    What has made you angry?
•    Do you have any fears?
•    Is there anything that makes you sad?
•    What makes you happy?

Accomplishments & Self-Expression
•    How did you earn your living?
•    How did you express yourself?
•    What has been you greatest personal accomplishment?
•    What has been your greatest accomplishment involving other people?
•    What do you want to accomplish in your life before you die that you haven’t already accomplished?