I traveled to Utah last week for the annual North American Close To My Heart Convention, where I presented a Lunch and Learn session about our line of Story by Stacy products. On the show today I’m sharing some of what I presented—especially as it relates to the skills associated with scrapbooking and storytelling. Over the more than 25 years that I’ve been scrapbooking the importance of documenting personal stories in those scrapbooks has become the focus of both my personal and professional efforts. There are countless resources available to those who want to become more competent and confident with the art form of scrapbooking—from photography and design to color usage and creative techniques. But beyond a general acknowledgment that journaling should be emphasized, there are few resources and even fewer experts dedicated to developing the storytelling and writing side of memory keeping. So this episode is an overview of the product kits I’ve been able to bring to market with CTMH. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and any opportunity that I have to teach these building blocks.

A couple of weeks ago in Glacier National Park I experienced what has become an analogy for me of the ability and willingness I have to SLOW down and be more present with little moments in my life. Little moments are like these pink wildflowers scattered in small patches along the road to our destination—at first they were barely visible, but then I began to notice repeated blurs of pink and after a few minutes, I asked my husband to slow down and then to stop.

I credit my years of taking pictures and making notes in a notebook or (now) on my phone, of thoughtfully considering the story I want to develop and making time to CREATE as the source of this ability. I love that I have hundreds of completed scrapbook pages and projects, but perhaps even more, I cherish this tendency to NOTICE what others do not—and to SAVOR what is often labeled only as mundane. In short to STOP, even as life is speeding by.

STOP stands for …
Slow down, Take your time, Organize and bring Order to memories and create Pause, Priority and Permanence for even a few of the moments that become memories that we can choose to bring together and weave into stories that we tell ourselves and that we pass on to the next generation. When you STOP to tell stories, you could never be behind. In fact, I believe that I am always one story ahead—SO FAR AHEAD!