TimeStories - always moving

Father's Day is June 21st...What is the best gift to give?

A recent study pointed out that older people have much more information in their brains than younger ones, so retrieving it naturally takes longer. And the quality of the information in the older brain is more nuanced. But all of that lifelong data will go away one day if not saved.

While younger people were faster in tests of cognitive performance, older people showed “greater sensitivity to fine-grained differences,” the study found. Self-examination can be a therapeutic tool in realizing "wisdom" acquired in one's lifetime.

Based on an analysis of their research, they determined that wisdom consists of three key components: cognition, reflection and compassion.

True personal wisdom involves five elements - they are self-insight; the ability to demonstrate personal growth; self-awareness in terms of your historical era and your family history; understanding that priorities and values, including your own, are not absolute; and an awareness of life’s ambiguities.

There’s a point in life when a fundamental shift occurs, and people start thinking about how much time they have left rather than how long they have lived. Often, the subtleties and revelations of one's life, as well as the stories of hardships and successes go with them to their final resting places. Family members forget to ask about past experiences, or forget the answers over time.

Researchers recommend services like guided autobiography, or life review, as a way of strengthening wisdom. In creating a biography, people share their life stories with the help of a trained professional, and this wisdom creates a lasting legacy to share with family members alive today and yet to come.

Reflecting on the meaning and structure of their lives can help people thrive after the balance shifts and there is much less time left than has gone before. It should be a rite-of-passage that everyone chronicles their experiences, preferences, beliefs and realizations as a gift to themselves and beloved family members, but it often requires someone to request it first, and where does one begin?

At TimeStories, we chronicle life stories. We know the topics to discuss and how to get behind an answer to the hidden story - especially as we are not close family and can uncover deeper truths that many may not feel comfortable sharing directly with loved ones.

The cathartic benefits to the storyteller are manifold; a library of information is saved and families grow closer to their roots as they grow more familiar with their origins.

Call us or email to find out how easy it is to save your history and the story of a lifetime - your heritage.

TimeStories. The gift of a lifetime.