Design Yourself 10: Storytelling Miniseries – The Past

by Sharon Lipovsky

Welcome to Part 2 of our 4 part miniseries on Storytelling. Today’s episode looks at the Past and the influence our telling of it can have on our present and even our future. Draw awareness to the importance of your story “up until now” and learn tips on how to revise and adapt your personal history over time. We all have the power to change and revisiting the past can be a powerful catalyst on this path. As we head towards Labor Day, Sharon also briefly looks at some of her own past experiences as she celebrates the end of summer and the transition into the back-to-school season. Enjoy!

IDEAS SHARED

“An imagination is a powerful tool. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can entice…or terrify, all depending upon how we conduct ourselves today.” – Jim Davis

How to think about writing and telling the story of your past

  1. Make sure you are telling a story that works well for you. 
  2. Be mindful that what works for you now, may change in the future. Be ready to adapt.
  3. We always have the power of revision available for us.
  4. Be conscious of what you are carrying from other people. Carry what works and let go of what doesn’t.

RESOURCES AND LINKS

  • Check out Larriland Farm – the sweet pick your own fruit and vegetable spot in Howard County, MD that I’ve been going to ever since I was a kid. (And also the place where my sweetheart proposed in a peach orchard a decade ago this month!)
  • Want to stop for a picnic like the Lipovsky’s on your way to the farm? Brighton Dam is a nice spot on your way to Larriland (coming from the DC metro area). Apparently it’s especially nice in azalea season (spring!) though I must admit that I’ve never been there during that time. (Not yet, anyhow!)
  • Have you read any of Erik Larson’s historical nonfiction? I’ve got to admit, I haven’t ready anything all the way through because, well, reality can be much scarier than fiction. But he’s got a special gift for pulling from many historical sources and weaving together a narrative that will draw you in and teach.