Sharing our stories helps us know other people more deeply. Shared stories are part of what holds us together with special people in our lives. Today, let’s tap into some of those memories and share those stories.
- Pick a person who is important in your life. It could be a child, a parent, a partner, and old friend, someone from your “village.”
- Set a timer for 5 minutes and brainstorm a list of stories about them. Try writing “Remember the time …” and then filling it in the end of the sentence over and over.
- If you are having a hard time, try listening to music you connect with that person or flipping through photographs. Think about where you met. Start there and move through time.
- Set a timer for 15–30 minutes (whatever you have time for). Choose one of your memories and write about it in more detail. Begin with concrete details. Where are you? Is anyone else with the two of you? What are you wearing? Focus on your senses: I see …, I hear …, I smell …, I feel …, I taste …. Write the things you don’t remember too.
- What does this memory mean to you? What does it tell you about the person or about your relationship?
If you have more time, try writing about one of the other memories you listed. Does it amplify what you already noticed about the person or relationship? Or does it reveal another facet?
Sometimes finding your stories you want to tell or tapping into the real emotions and meaning behind them can be hard. In my writing workshops, I help people get past the surface to tell the stories they really want to share so that they can have the impact they want.
Interested in learning more about the power of your stories to create a life of resilience, connection, and meaning? Check out my Write Into Joy workshops to learn how to build resilience and joy through journaling & reflecting. Click here to see a list of upcoming workshops.
Wishing you happy writing.
Melanie
P.S. I’d love to know how this writing exercise went for you. Hit reply and tell me about your experience with it.