| TODAY'S STORY WILL BE TOMORROW'S | | | | child I would take paper and pencil to bed with me, hide |
| HISTORY | | | | it under a pillow and once my parents were asleep I |
| I once believed that writing was just a gift, given to a | | | | would use a flashlight to give me enough light to see |
| select few. However, I have come to believe this to be | | | | the paper. The one I mentioned above became my |
| untrue for several reasons. When I listen to a story as | | | | mentor and not at a cost beyond my resources. He |
| told in a typical conversation I often say, "My! How | | | | charged minimal amounts for lessons and reports as |
| interesting! You should write that down and share it | | | | well as offer many free helps; yet I seemed to be |
| with people." The response I so often get is, "I couldn't | | | | getting nowhere. I printed them out, read everything |
| do that. I'm not a writer. I haven't sufficient education to | | | | and eventually learned that I just wasn't getting it. He |
| do something like that." They aren't aware of the fact | | | | was teaching, I was reading, but I wasn't absorbing the |
| that some of our most prominent authors have been | | | | truth of what he was trying to say. |
| people who were uneducated, untrained people who | | | | Finally he offered a course and because I had such |
| simply scribbled on paper their thoughts and feelings. | | | | confidence in him, I took it. That is when everything |
| Perhaps it was recorded in a diary or a personal | | | | changed for me. Suddenly a light came on and I could |
| journal that was found long after they were gone and | | | | see that I was trying to be something I was not cut out |
| published by family members. Then again, their writings | | | | to be. I was trying to write and sell information with the |
| might have been seen by a close friend or family | | | | idea of getting a large degree of wealth and that was |
| member who encouraged them to publish their | | | | not my forte. I am not an information writer, I am a |
| material, ultimately touching the lives of readers | | | | storyteller. I've lived for 76 years and I have |
| everywhere. I am now in the process of reading a | | | | experienced a lot in my life. Yet, writing about it in a |
| book that was simply a journal, written by a man who | | | | way that others would benefit by it was not for me. I |
| would be extremely illiterate in today's view. It was | | | | needed to write in story form, just as I am now to find |
| written in the 1600's, reprinted many times and not just | | | | satisfaction in what I do. |
| read, but studied by thousands - if not millions of | | | | My mentor has a fine purpose in seeking to make |
| people. It isn't an easy read, but it has so much to say | | | | money online. His efforts are targeted at using that |
| that I, like many others, find it interesting and absorbing. | | | | money to help others who are less fortunate. This is |
| If he can do that, why can't that be the case with | | | | true of many online marketers. As for me, it isn't about |
| anyone? | | | | money as much as wanting my stories to be an end in |
| I wrote my first book several years ago and it was so | | | | themselves. Different people write for different |
| well accepted that it took me by surprise. I didn't intend | | | | reasons. I write in an effort to bring encouragement |
| to write a book. I had just lost someone dear to my | | | | and inspiration to people around the globe. The autism |
| heart and in my grief I began to write him a letter each | | | | stories taken from the journal of 22 years involving my |
| day. He wasn't there to read it, but it brought peace to | | | | efforts with my granddaughter have been useful to |
| my heart. When I finally reached the end, I realized that | | | | many. My poetry is often published in magazines and |
| I had told his story. It was the story of my life and the | | | | newspapers at no cost. I believe that if we give we will |
| influence that great man had on my life. My pastor | | | | eventually receive. |
| read it, gave it to a publisher and before I knew what | | | | I am telling my story to encourage those who have |
| was happening I became a published author. The book | | | | never thought about writing articles or books to |
| is now out of print, but it served its purpose. I didn't | | | | consider giving it a try. Write down some of the things |
| become rich and famous, but my book still has great | | | | you talk about when communicating with others. Try |
| value to so many people and that was undoubtedly | | | | writing down some of your memories or a few of |
| the ultimate purpose of that endeavor. | | | | your deepest thoughts. Who knows? You could be |
| In 2007 my husband of 56 years died, leaving me with | | | | the writer the world is waiting for. I believe that one of |
| limited finances. I have an autistic granddaughter who | | | | the best reasons for writing is centered around family. I |
| has been in my care from birth. While struggling to | | | | wish my parents and grandparents had penned some |
| make ends meet I began to seek ways of earning | | | | of their experiences and memories. There would be |
| money. I couldn't leave the house to work outside the | | | | so much to learn from that. Their way of life is history |
| home because I needed to be there to care for her. | | | | now. What is happening in our lives today will be |
| This situation left me in what I considered an impossible | | | | history to our offspring. |
| situation. One day I received a card in the mail | | | | I suggest that you begin a log. If you are in the spring |
| suggesting I become on online entrepreneur. I tossed it | | | | of your life, begin a life story by entering data into that |
| aside, believing that was beyond my capability. Not long | | | | log each day. It may seem unimportant to you now, |
| after, I received another such card and this time I didn't | | | | but the day will come when it may be valuable |
| toss it. I kept it around for awhile and finally decided to | | | | information to you and to those who care about you. If |
| call the number listed on the card. Eventually, I invested | | | | you are in the summer of your days, you already have |
| a large sum of money and began my efforts to get | | | | so much to tell. Most of those in the autumn years |
| rich by writing and selling my work online. The program | | | | have children who will one day crave to hear of more |
| had a guarantee, so how could I lose? | | | | about you and your outlook on life itself. If you've |
| While doing my best to make things work I met | | | | reached the winter years as I have, think of the past, |
| someone online with whom I was deeply impressed. | | | | collect your memories of yesteryear and leave some |
| He was working to make money by teaching others | | | | valuable history that can go down through the |
| how to do what I was trying to do, but he did it with a | | | | decades to come. |
| thoughtful, considerate attitude. That's when I began to | | | | Let this be the first day of your writing career. |
| learn. However, what I learned was how to work with | | | | Whether you have a lifetime to write or even just a |
| purpose and how to enjoy every minute of my work. | | | | few short years, what you have to say may be more |
| It wasn't about getting rich; rather it was about finding | | | | significant to others than you might imagine. I hope this |
| my niche and making the most of who I am. Of all the | | | | article encourages you to begin now to write |
| things I do, I find that writing is my joy. I remember as a | | | | tomorrow's history. |