The Generation That Lost Their History

Almost everyone you meet these days owns a digital camera. It's always interesting to hear what people do with their photos after they take them. Some people storybook them, others scrapbook. Some people I meet actually keep their photos stored on their memory stick and just keep buying new ones. Others I meet, upload them to their computer and think that they are safe. I have run into so many people in my profession, who have lost precious photos because their computer crashed.

You should always have a back up of your irreplaceable files. Photos are the proof of our history, of the life and times and memories we've shared. If they are lost, no amount of insurance can replace them. Back your files up on CD or DVD and store them in a safe place, like a safety deposit box or in the home of another relative or friend. Even better, get online storage. Several companies, including Heritage Makers, offers online photo storage. Some are free for a limited amount of space and others are fee-based for an unlimited amount of space. Then if something happens to your computer, you can always download them back to your new computer or hard drive.

Don't be part of the generation that lost their history to a simple hard drive crash!

Sincerely,

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach

Beyond Happy

It's beyond happy Wednesday and as I sat down to write down 5 things I am grateful for today, I struggled a little bit. Typically, you want to think of the really "big" things that have happened in the past few days but much like a lot of people these days, there have been quite a few struggles. When it's raining it's very easy to get caught up in the downpour which I have been guilty of, rather than making the best of it and moving on. So the first thing on my list, is mercy.

1. I am grateful for mercy. I heard someone's testimony on Sunday morning, a real Job story. I quite a few things were reinforced for me that morning but the one I am practicing on this week is being content in my circumstances. I am happy that when I do have a bad day that tomorrow is a new day and another chance to get it right.

2. I am grateful for motherhood. OMG, I have learned so much about myself since I became a mother. It's amazing how it changes your life, your priorities, your goals. Sure there are challenges, but there is great joy!

3. I am grateful for Heritage Makers. There are so many wonderful things about this company, I can't begin to name them all. This year I celebrated the 9th anniversary of my 29th birthday and I just figured out what I want to be when I grow up. Starting my business as a Heritage Maker has been the best experience, the most rewarding and I am thankful to be a part of it.

4. I am grateful for support. Not everyone has a good support system, so this is something to be thankful about. I am thankful for my friends and family who have been a great source of support and encouragement over the years. I am grateful for my "success line" (some companies use downline). Bringing new "blood" into your business is great for a power injection. They keep me motivated, challenged with new ideas and focused on my vision. I am also grateful for my "power line" or up line for the same reason. These are people who have achieved the goals I am working toward and serve as great models and mentors. And finally, my networking groups. Coffee and Contacts has been a great source of encouragement, support and business building.

5. Finally, I am grateful for fall. I love fall. It's my favorite season. The leaves are starting to change. The weather is cooling off. People are starting to think about the holidays, and I love the holiday season! Best of all, I live in a place where I can experience all of the seasons. Some parts of the country don't have that luxury. It's either sunny all the time or cold all the time, but here (although some seasons are shorter than others) I get a taste of all of them.

Don't always be caught up in only recording the memories of the big events in your life. Take time to "smell the roses." What are you grateful for? Record the everyday blessings in your life.

Sincerely,

Yolanda~The Memory Keeper's Coach

The Memory Keeper's Coach~Unknown or Known?

"I don't want to be unknown
The little things that make me who I am
I need to share
I need to know that someone cares

That I write down my dreams
That I love when it rains
I burn candles when I'm alone
More then anything
I don't want to be unknown
More then anything
No one wants to be unknown"

This is an excerpt from one of the songs on my personal soundtrack, yes I have a personal soundtrack-more on that another time. The song is "Unknown" by Chely Wright. No one wants to be unknown. The passion of memory keeping is so that it doesn't happen to you or the heroes of your family. If you take pictures, you are probably doing so, to capture a memory of a particular moment. The concept of taking pictures is to preserve that moment so you can reflect on it at another time. But a picture only tells half the story. This song inspired me to start a scrapbook about me and the things that me who I am; the things I enjoy, my friends and activities, my thoughts, dreams and aspirations. I want my children to know the woman I was before I had brought them into the world. If you don't tell your story, who will? Who knows you better than you do? Have someone take your picture, if you don't have a recent one, look at it and then get a pen and paper and tell the future about the person in that photo.

Thank you for stopping by, please come back again soon.

Sincerely,

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach

The Memory Keeper Coach Builds Community

What started out as a hobby 7 years ago has blossomed into a wonderful business. They say when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. I started "memory keeping" or "storybooking" out of a need to preserve my family's history for my children. I became so passionate about what I was doing that I felt the need to share my hobby with everyone and convert them into scrapbookers! Little did I know that I would be able to do exactly that same thing and get paid for it. I started my Heritage Makers business so that I could work my job around my family and not the other way around.

As a service to my clients, I started a book club called Memory Keepers because what I do primarily is coach and assist others in becoming the Memory Keeper for their family's stories. That's how I got my name "The Memory Keeper Coach." We get together to work on our projects, find inspiration and develop friendships. What started out as a monthly laptop crop has turned into Memory Keepers Book Club meetings spread throughout the city, throughout the month! And it's free!

New digi-scrappers and veterans can join us on www.meetup.com/Memory-Keepers and come to any of our crops and learn from scratch or just to work on their projects. Through the book club we are building friendships that will last a lifetime and what a joy it is to be a part of something that can have such an impact on one individual, a family and a community! That's what I love about what I do! That's why this is hobby, now business and hobby, has become such a huge part of who I am.

Sincerely,

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach