RENEWAL OF SPIRIT

 

There is no greater gift than sharing the experience, wisdom and blessings of a lifetime with family and friends. But how do you start? Most people think writing is too difficult or feel that they don’t have the time. I can assist you in writing your life story, or spiritual legacy, using techniques such as journal and poetry writing, artistic legacies, oral histories, reflection questions, and collages.  Everyone has a unique story. With some encouragement and a good guide, it can be a fun and rewarding journey.

 

LIFE STORY INTRODUCTION

 

What is the difference between writing something and just saying it?

 If we don’t write it, it might never get spoken.

Sometimes there is an embarrassment about speaking out loud certain tender feelings/thought. Writing gives you privacy, a change to be yourself, and it is safe.

 When you write, you can express yourself freely without interruption, without second guessing the meanings of people’s expressions or gestures that you are communicating with.

 Writing helps to heal.

Writing helps you to tell the truth, you can’t be phony. It is too painful to see lies in writing. And when you see the truth and look at it you can often say “I can live with that”. You no longer need to be consumed by it once you get it on paper.

 Writing is a legacy.

Reading about someone’s past creates a bond with him or her. A piece of writing can be a voice speaking to you across the years, a connection with people perhaps no longer with you.

 Writing can provide a powerful way of knowing.

Rather than worrying when we don’t know what to write, we can let the writing help us say it. Often when we pick up the pen and put it on blank paper with an open heart, what we need to say pours out. You can start by writing, “I don’t know what to write” or “I don’t know how to start…” and just keep writing.

 Writing takes what was painful and potentially harmful and forms it into a different shape. Writing a myth or a poem about your feelings, even if it is never published, alters your perceptions and can heal your wounds.

 If we pay attention, our writing has a message for us.

 

 WHAT IS IN A LIFE STORY/LEGACY?

• Common themes from our past (meaningful personal of family stories, lessons learned from personal or family experience, regrets)

• Common themes from the present (personal values and beliefs, expressions of love and gratitude, values and beliefs from one’s faith community, apologies)

• Common themes for the future (blessings, dreams, and hopes for present and future generations, advice and guidance, requests, funeral plans)

   

  WHEN TO WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY:

• When you want to learn about yourself, reflect on your life, affirm yourself, affirm what others mean to you, articulate what you stand for, tell stories that illustrate your values

• You want a forum to fill in knowledge gaps by providing history that links generations, to express apologies and regrets, open the door to forgiving and being forgiven, come to terms with your mortality

• It may provide a spiritual experience that gives a sense of completion to your life

• To document life changing events (marriage, pregnancy, birth of children/grandchildren, mid-age and end of life transitions, separations and divorce, death of a loved one, facing surgery, losing a job, being diagnosed with a serious illness, facing empty nest

   

  How it benefits you and your family when family member is in hospice:

   

  1.This is particularly important when working with hospice patients. It can help create a strong connection with family and loved ones when the right questions are asked. When people are reaching old age or facing a life-threatening illness, this is the right time to offer to help write their life story.

   

  2.There are well documented health and wellness (emotional, spiritual, intellectual and social aspects) benefits of reminiscence, including increases in happiness and satisfaction with life, lowering depression, and even lowering physical pain and increased brain activity.

   

  3. Life stories are a great way to connect volunteers with patients and helps them build relationships by learning more about the person.

   

  4. It can help the patient’s family find new things to talk about when they visit. The family can become involved in the creation of the life story by using story cards with open-ended questions to help start even the most difficult conversations.

   

  5. It is a good way to help volunteers to allow someone the chance to say what matters as they reach the end of life.

   

  6. Person-centered care make it essential to know the WHOLE person, so everyone involved in the care plan can be a part of that person’s story

   

  How Does it Work?

   

  The interviewer gently guides person ready to tell their story through a conversation that gives them a chance to talk about things that are important to them in their life. The person can decide what they want to focus on and for how long, up to 5 hours of recording time, Each interview will take an hour or less, and multiple interviews can be arranged if needed.

   

  Life Story interviewers will not discuss or share any information contained in the interviews with anyone unless they are given permission to do so.

• Gail Rognan earned her M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Antioch University. She has 15 years of experience as a life and career planner, with three years experience in Human Resources, particularly designing systems for responding to employee inquiries, identifying and evaluating options and recommending courses of action consistent with organization goals and objectives.  In addition she has 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, public relations and advertising and has published a book, Living Out Your Passion While Living Without a Job. She has written her own life story and writes organizational legacies for corporations and non-profit agencies. She has taught college-level courses for DeVry University and University of Phoenix online. She is a hospice volunteer for Whidbey General Hospital and has received hours of training for this position.

   

  QUALIFICATIONS:

  Adjunct faculty for University of Phoenix and DeVry University

  Taught “How to Write your Life Story” at Seattle Central Community College

  Has written and published a book about journey with cancer- “I Lost Two Boobs and Gained Two Balls”

  Gave “Finding Your Calling” workshop – May, 2001

  Taught eight-week “Finding Your Calling” class – 1999

  Created workbook called “Finding Your Calling” that used in classes

  Have done career consulting and life/work planning with individual clients since 1985

  Taught an ongoing class at Denver Free University called “Change Your Life! Change Your Career! and got great feedback

  Gave two seminars at Roger Williams College in Rhode Island on “Creating Your Dream Job” and “Goal-setting”

  Have given numerous workshops and brown bag presentations on “Finding your Passion”

  Gave brown bag presentation at Motorola in Bothell - (October, 2000). Finding balance at work.

  Co-designed series on Spirituality and Leadership with Center for Ethical Leadership in Seattle, WA

  Taught portion of class at Antioch University called “Transformational Leadership”.

  Taught college- level classes online on critical thinking and problem-solving, psychology, sociology, behavioral science and business since 2006