Hello ,

I am reminded of my better half coming down the stairs and letting me know "the girls were in bed," and waiting for me to tell them a story.

I'd get out of my chair, clicker-thing off the TV, climb the stairs, turn right into the hall, and right again into their room. There was a bookshelf by the door containing dozens of children's books and storybooks for children.

Their beds were lined up in a row, with matching bedclothes, and the three of them were robed in matching nightgowns made especially for them by their mother. Lined up with the middle bed was an adult-sized chair with a reading lamp. I picked a book (at random) from the shelf, crossed the room to the chair, and reached over my right shoulder to turn on the reading light. I opened the book to a random page and started to read the story I had selected at random.

Before I had gotten out the first three words, one of them would interrupt me, saying, "Not that one Daddy. Tell us one of your stories."

"My stories? They're not that good. The good ones are in this book."

"No, Daddy! Your stories are the best!"

We played that game for years, and my only regret is that we couldn't have played it for more.

A couple of summers ago, I was visiting one of my daughters. She lives in Florida and has two daughters of her own (and a baby boy due in November). One night after putting her girls to bed, she returned to their den and said, "Dad, go tell the girls one of your stories."

"How do the girls know about my stories?" I asked.

"I told them about how you used to tell us your stories when we were little."

I got up from their comfortable couch and headed for the girl's room. There is a bookshelf by their door filled with children's books and storybooks for children. I picked one at random, sat down, and started to read from a page selected at random.

Before I had gotten out the first three words...

Storytelling is a fundamental part of human communication and has been for thousands of years. It has been used to transmit knowledge, values, and cultural traditions from generation to generation. Storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting people and communities and has the ability to inspire, educate, and entertain.

There are many reasons why storytelling is important. Here are a few:

1. It helps us make sense of the world: Stories can help us understand complex ideas and make sense of our experiences. By presenting information in a narrative format, stories can make it easier for us to process and remember information.
2. It fosters empathy and understanding: Stories can help us see the world through someone else's eyes, fostering empathy and understanding. This is especially important in a diverse and multicultural society, where it's important to be able to understand and appreciate different perspectives.
3. It inspires and motivates: Stories can inspire us to take action, whether it's pursuing a goal, overcoming a challenge, or making a difference in the world. By presenting characters who face obstacles and persevere, stories can motivate us to do the same.
4. It preserves culture and history: Stories are a way of preserving cultural traditions and historical events. By passing down stories from generation to generation, we can keep alive the knowledge, beliefs, and values of our ancestors.

Overall, storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting people, fostering empathy, and inspiring change. Whether it's through books, movies, or oral traditions, stories have the ability to enrich our lives and shape our understanding of the world around us.

Storytelling is forever.

Toby's daughter, Erica, and granddaughters Palmer and Everly with the Easter Bunny.

Capture Your Legacy: Write Your Life Stories Book Using a Video Podcast Format

by Shelley Carney

If I go for a walk today, does that cancel out the pizza and cinnamon roll I ate last night? --Asking for a friend.

Have you ever made up a fictional friend to ask questions or pose situations to get advice about something you were too embarrassed to ask about?

Or maybe you were afraid you would get good advice, but you wanted to give yourself an out in case you didn’t want to go through with what they suggested.

I have this friend who wants to write a book full of fascinating, mostly true stories about her life that will resonate with people, make her well-known and well-liked, and sell thousands of copies.

Also, it has to fit into her schedule and be easy and fun or she won’t do it.

How can she do that?

Motivational Reasons to Create a Book of Life Stories

There are many motivational reasons to create a book of life stories, including:

Preserving your legacy - Your life story is a unique and valuable record of your experiences, memories, and accomplishments. By creating a book of life stories, you are preserving your legacy for future generations.

Reflecting on your life - Reflecting on your life and the events that shaped you can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-awareness. By creating a book of life stories, you are giving yourself the opportunity to reflect on your life and gain a deeper understanding of yourself.

Sharing your story - Your life story has the power to inspire and motivate others. By creating a book of life stories, you are sharing your story with others and giving them the opportunity to learn from your experiences.

Connecting with others - Creating a book of life stories can be a great way to connect with others, especially family members and friends. By sharing your stories, you are strengthening your relationships and creating a deeper sense of community.

The Rewards of Creating a Book of Life Stories

Taking on a project, such as writing a book, can be a difficult challenge. It is important to know why you want to achieve this goal so you can stick with it to the end.

Creating a book of life stories can be a deeply rewarding experience. Some rewards include:

Sense of accomplishment - Completing a book of life stories is a significant achievement. It requires time, effort, and dedication, but the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing the project is well worth it.

Increased self-awareness - Reflecting on your life and the events that shaped you can lead to increased self-awareness and personal growth. By creating a book of life stories, you are giving yourself the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your experiences.

Strengthened relationships - Creating a book of life stories can be a great way to connect with others and strengthen your relationships. By sharing your stories, you are creating a deeper sense of community and fostering closer relationships with family members and friends.

Legacy preservation - Creating a book of life stories is a powerful way to preserve your legacy for future generations. By documenting your life story, you are leaving a lasting record of your experiences, memories, and accomplishments.

Do any of these reasons resonate with you?

Click here to read the rest of Shelley's informative article on our blog.

Here's our next week in content:

4 pm MST, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. New Mexico Day Trips with Shelley Carney and Toby Younis. Video Upload.

The 40th Annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow

The Gathering of Nations Pow Wow is an annual Native American event that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is one of the largest pow-wows in North America and attracts participants and visitors from all over the world. Shelley and Toby attended the 40th Annual celebration of Native American culture, dance, music, and arts and recorded their impressions.

4 pm MST, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Garage Prospecting with Shelley Carney and Toby Younis. Video Upload.

How Much Gold? Paydirt Mining: Miss Kimoson's Blueberry Tundra Delight

This is the second bag of paydirt from Miss Kimoson's we've mined. On a difficulty scale of 1 - 10, it's a 9.5 with gold pieces in a variety of sizes from "pickers" to "flour." The question? Did we get the one gram of gold the bag promised?

4 pm MST, Thursday, May 4, 2023. Our Story Your Story with Shelley Carney and Toby Younis. Video Upload.

Our Story Your Story - Episode 1: Reading the First Chapter of A Gypsy's Kiss - Toby Younis and Shelley Carney Share Their Adventures

Welcome to the first episode of "Our Story Your Story," the video podcast where we share our personal experiences and invite you to share yours. In this episode, we'll introduce you to the premise of our podcast and read the first chapter of our book, A Gypsy's Kiss.

As we dive into our stories, we'll explore the twists and turns that have shaped our lives, and we'll invite guests to share their stories as well. We believe that everyone has a unique story to tell, and we're excited to bring those stories to you.

But before we get started with our guests, we wanted to share some of our own stories, to get the ball rolling.

A Gypsy's Kiss is a memoir of Toby’s high school adventures that we wrote together. In this episode, we'll read the first chapter and expand on the story followed by a discussion about our experiences and what we've learned along the way.

Don't forget to share your own stories with us by emailing us at support@agkmedia.studio. We can't wait to hear from you!

Want to Have It All?

Find our New Mexico Day Trips website to see all our photos and blog posts for NM Day Trips and Garage Prospecting at nmdaytrips.com

Learn more about AGK Media Studio products and services on our website: agkmedia.studio

You can still find all our past content to improve your content marketing for your small business at messagesandmethods.com

Thank you for spending time with us in the AGK Media community. Scroll down for more information.

Sincerely,

Shelley and Toby

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Schedule a Free Consultation with us to discuss how you can become a content creator, start a YouTube channel and build a community, or incorporate content marketing into your business in 2023.

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