Suggestions for ways to capture family knowledge and experience:
Create a photo album of family activities and important moments:
- Create physical photo albums organized chronologically.
- Create special photo albums for significant events such as vacations, retreats, etc.
- Create a digital photo album CD or folder organized chronologically. Consider creating separate CDs or folders for significant events.
Make scrapbooks of family events and activities:
- Scrapbooking is a method for preserving a legacy of written history in the form of photographs, printed media and memorabilia contained in decorated albums or scrapbooks. Historically, scrapbooking was a tradition similar to storytelling, but with a visual and tactile, rather than oral focus. (Source: www.wikipedia.com)
- Numerous web sites, books, and organizations are available to teach you the why and how of starting a scrapbook. Your scrapbook can be simple or elaborate.
- Items to display in your scrapbook include photos, newspaper articles, event programs, ticket stubs, letters, drawings, original poetry, journals, etc.
- Start by Googling “scrapbooking” and see where that takes you.
Interview family members:
- Go here to see the kind of information to obtain regarding family members or other relationships. This information can facilitate enhancing relationships between individuals.
- Use the sample questions here <link back to above> to ask family members or other relationships.
- To learn more about family members, consider interviewing (with permission) friends and associates of the family member. You’ll learn how others view your relative and you may learn things that they themselves would not share.
Create a family photo or video history as a slide show, CD-ROM or DVD:
- This can be done individually or with the help of a professional.
Perform family genealogical research and/or develop family history books:
- Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. This involves the collection of the names of relatives, both living and deceased, and establishing the relationships between them based on primary, secondary and/or circumstantial evidence or documentation, thus building up a cohesive family tree. Genealogy is sometimes also referred to as family history, although these terms may be used distinctly: the former being the basic study of who is related to whom; the latter involving more “fleshing out” of the lives and personal histories of the individuals involved. (Source: www.wikipedia.com)
- Numerous web sites provide family pedigree information; you enter the name, birth date, and birth place of a deceased ancestor and the site provides a pedigree chart listing parents, grandparents, etc.
- Professional genealogists can help you research information regarding your ancestors and document this information on reports or in a family history book.
- For more resources, simply Google “genealogy.”
Develop a family web site:
- Several companies offer a family web site template for a minimal cost.
- Create a customized family web site to meet your specific vision. Many web site developers provide this service.
- For resources, Google “family web site.”
Create a repository of knowledge the family has learned and valuable resources the family has identified:
- Document resources for specific needs such as preferred health care professionals, remedies for ailments, attorneys, home improvements, diets, insurance professionals, etc.
- Compile important documents, CDs, etc., on “How To” achieve successful results. Topics could include managing investments, buying insurance, buying a car, dental hygiene, developing real estate, etc.
- Create a list of books of interest including fiction, history, biographies, self-help, etc.
Establish traditions to provide opportunities and systems to capture family knowledge and experience:
- The holiday season, between Christmas and Thanksgiving, is a great time to meet as a family, discuss the events of the year, share knowledge and capture experiences.
- Family vacations should always have a purpose. One of the important purposes of the vacation is relaxation and recreation (re-creation of the inner soul). Vacations are also great times to share knowledge and experiences, report on progress in optimizing assets, set milestones toward the achievement of your vision, etc.
- Birthdays and anniversaries provide opportunities to capture and share knowledge and experiences. Consider writing a letter to the birthday person, share an “I remember when…” experience you had with the person, have everyone at the party write down what they appreciate about the person, etc.
- Traditions do not have to be major activities or events. Sometimes the most meaningful events are the simplest. An important aspect of the tradition is the commitment to perform the activity on a regular, long term basis.
Capturing family knowledge and experience can be accomplished in simple daily events. Individuals have shared with us the following experiences and traditions that they have with their families:
- Each evening at dinner, I ask my children to share and discuss the answers to three questions:
- What made you happy today?
- What made you sad today?
- What made you laugh today?
We are compiling their answers in special journals with the intention of presenting them with the journal when they turn 21 years old. This will provide them with a history of the things that influenced their lives.
- Each evening before family prayers, each family member shares a positive experience that happened during the day. This allows us to share with each other the events of our day, to celebrate each other’s successes, and to end the day in an attitude of gratitude for the good that happened.
- On birthdates for what I consider “milestone” ages, we participate in activities with our children and grandchildren that allows us to spend time with them and teaches them life lessons. At age 10, we drive them to the tallest natural point near our city where we talk about the wonders of the world. Then, leaving our car at this spot and using any means of transportation available, we go to the tallest building in the city and look to where we were at the tallest natural point. We then have the child figure out how to get us back to our car. At age 16, we have the child map out a road trip of 300-400 miles, determining where we’ll go, what we’ll do, etc. These are great bonding and teaching/learning experiences.
- Each night before bed, my children tell me the events of their day. We then wrap the events into a story; the names of the characters in the story are the names of my children spelled backward. I embellish the stories to provide teaching moments.
- Each night I list my accomplishments of the day in a special Quadrant Journal. I identify at least one activity in each quadrant. This helps me reflect on the activities of the day, focus on maintaining balance in my life and optimize my True Wealth assets
- Each year at Christmas time we write a letter describing our activities and accomplishments. We include paragraphs describing the accomplishments of each member of the family and the major events of the year. We shorten the letter to send with a Christmas card to family and close friends. The longer letter is kept as a journal of the year’s events.
- Each week we set aside a night to be with our family. We try to hold it the same day of the week so family members can plan it in their schedules. We discuss our family’s values, share stories, discuss what each of us is experiencing, play games, watch movies, and enjoy each other’s company. This night helps us remain connected and internalize our values.
Capturing family knowledge and experience is one of the most important activities you can do to optimize your True Wealth. It will enhance the lives of family members living and those yet to be born. It allows family members to benefit from the experiences of others so they can achieve greater heights and accomplishments.
Family Profile
General Information:
| Complete Name | Descendent | Spouse |
| Preferred Name | ||
| Birth Date | ||
| Birth Place | ||
| E-Mail Address | ||
| Home Address | ||
| Home Phone | ||
| Home Fax | ||
| Cell Phone | ||
| Anniversary Date | ||
| Children: | ||
| Name |
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| Birth Date | ||
| Interests | ||
| Hobbies and Interests | ||
| Clubs, Associations, Etc. | ||
| Politically Active? | ||
| Political Party | ||
| Religiously Active? | ||
| Religion | ||
| Community Activities | ||
| Medical Issues |
Family Profile
Business Information:
| Company Name | Descendent | Spouse |
| Company Address | ||
| Years with Company | ||
| Business Phone | ||
| Business Fax | ||
| Web Site | ||
| Professional Trade Associations |
LifeStyle
| Favorite Types of Food | Descendent | Spouse |
| Favorite Restaurants | ||
| Preferred Vacations | ||
| Sports interests and Teams | ||
| Claim to Fame |
Education
| College Attended | Descendent | Spouse |
| Year Graduated | ||
| Degree(s) | ||
| Honors | ||
| Fraternity/ Sorority | ||
| Sports | ||
| Extra-curricular Activities |
