Memories are one of the most priceless things we have, and let’s face it, many of us might have wonderful memories, but a limited capacity to recall! We chatted with high-profile international speaker and four-time bestselling author Michael McQueen to learn about the true significance of written memories and how his experience of suddenly losing his father, taught him to value of keeping those memories in ‘black and white’.
In the days that followed this unexpected family death, Michael discovered his father’s journal, and it was in this moment he realised how little he truly knew about the life of his closest mentor. From this poignant experience his business Histography.com was born.
Histography.com is an online memory box that leads you through a series of thought-provoking questions designed to unearth the most interesting, unique and momentous aspects of your personality and life’s experience. But, on a more holistic level, Michael’s mission is to inspire people around the world to record their story in the same way that was so meaningful to him.
These are his 7 reasons why you should write down your favourite memories write now:
1. Because your kids might never find out
The regret of not asking a loved one something while you had the chance is a painful one, and it can last a lifetime. Do your children, and your grandchildren, a big favour and record your story for them. The value of your words in years to come can’t be described.
2. Because it’s inevitable that you’ll forget
As the years pass by, memories from our childhood become ghostlike, we forget more and more, and often we don’t remember a particular memory until someone else brings it up. Don’t ever forget how fragile, and incredibly precious, your memories really are.
3. Because your memory plays tricks on you
There is such a thing as “false memory”. Researchers are starting to understand that the human mind can create, exaggerate, distort and even re-invent a memory.
Have you ever been describing childhood memory and your sibling pipes up, “That’s not what happened?!” As they correct you, a much clearer picture of the memory returns and you wonder how you ever created a ‘fake’ memory. Our brains are hardwired to ‘fill in the blanks’, so when we don’t remember the whole lot, our brain will trick us into thinking we do!
4. Because storytelling actually strengthens your memory
When we write things down we tend to have an easier time remembering them and recalling the information more precisely. The more things you can tie together into a narrative, the more easily you’ll be able to recall those things later on. Think of it as studying for a test and taking valuable notes!
5. Because you’ll learn a thing or two
The scientific research into the health benefits of expressive writing is surprisingly far-reaching.
Writing down the moments you remember – the things that were important to you – provides you with unbelievable insight into the kind of person that you were, who you are today and who you want to become in the future. Some researchers even believe that by recording and then editing our own stories can lead to behavioural changes and improve happiness.
6. Because it only takes a few minutes
Writing your story doesn’t have to be a time consuming chore. Memoir writing programs such as Histography.com provide the platform to write your story in a way that easy and time efficient.
7. Because it’ll change your life
Imagine if you had written down a nice memory a day for the past year. That would be equal to 365 memories. Now in this moment try to think of even 10 lovely memories in the past year. What about 50?
Unfortunately bad memories stay with us for much longer – the car breaking down, the heated conversation, the funeral. By recording the good times in your life will not only make sure you don’t lose these memories, but you’ll be choosing to live a life filled with happy memories that you can look to when life gets tough.
Do you write down your favourite memories? Tell us below…
This story was originally published on The Carousel.
