life review as a naturally occurring, universal mental process characterized by the progressive return to consciousness of past experiences, and, particularly, the resurgence of unresolved conflicts; simultaneously, and normally, these revived experiences and conflicts can be surveyed and reintegrated.” – Robert N. Butler, PhD (1963)“I conceive of Many people enter into a transitional time or the second half of their life with the desire to look back on past moments, the challenging and the rewarding. By examining your personal history you can often change the way you see things now. You can come to terms with the turmoil of your past, and bring joy into the present moment. The concept of collecting your memories and writing them down as thoughtful retrospective was pioneered by Robert N. Butler, PhD, in the 1960’s, who summed up the process as a “life review”. In the last 50 years, there have been many studies done on the positive effects of writing on the human brain. The benefits of writing down your thoughts and feelings are innumerable. Not only can it help you with emotional pain, but it has been shown that it can help heal physical wounds as well. Many people chose to write expressively, journal about their daily lives, or keep gratitude journals. As you begin to get older, it may benefit you to review your life, and create a written account of your legacy. Here are some different ways you can tell your story. Traditional Autobiography Style Begin by mapping out your timeline. Your story doesn’t have to begin with your birth, you can include stories of your ancestors, your family history – anything that you feel is a part of who you are. This is the brainstorming part of the...
