This image is from our free download of 17 Magic Questions from the early years of life. Once you’ve asked a great question and someone starts down their story trail, where does your mind go?
Do you start thinking of a story related to the story being told? Perhaps you think of a story that involves you that will show how you can relate to the story being told.
Many people do this. It’s active conversation however if your intention is to collect a memory from someone, you need to keep your own story quiet. 
Giving people the time and space to allow their mind to wander and probe their memory banks can bring incredible stories to light. It’s amazing what people remember once they are given the opportunity to expand on their life.
Do you have good listening skills? When I read this article by Clemens Rettich with tips for being a good listener, I learned a few things, in particular #5.
When I’m collecting someone’s memories, I turn on the Voice Record app and start asking questions. Of course I want to encourage them to tell their story but I don’t want the recording full of my “aha’s” or “hms”. Being fully present through the use of my eyes and body language keeps the recording clear of my nudging noises.
Listening for the story, helping someone on their story journey is an incredibly enriching experience that I encourage you to embark on. I am positive you know someone with some great stories and guess what, they would love to tell you!
It’s a huge honour to be a witness. This download of 17 Magic Questions focusses on the early years of someone’s life. We are working on the next segment of this series which continue along life’s path. Look for it in the new year.
At this time year when we are looking for gifts to share with loved ones, why not give the gift of a collected memory. We can create a beautiful customized gift certificate for you to give and in the new year we will begin recording, listening and collecting those special memories. Let me know if I can help.
