Learn Your Family's Story

Author Bernadette Jiwa sites a study showing people who know who and where they come from show higher levels of well-being.

Learning about your ancestors is helpful. Learning from your ancestors works even better.

I have memories of five out of my eight great-grandparents. I lived within an hour's drive of three out of my four grandparents for the first 26 years of my life.

Contact with my lineage is a competitive advantage. I know where and who I come from. Such a foundation lets me see the patterns I use to make sense of a changing world.

I spent many hours with my grandparents, watching, listening, and observing them. Their stories color my ideas of the past and encourage my vision of the future.

As I grew older, their stories became a little less PG-13. Although rated R grandma stories are traumatizing to most, it made me realize there's nothing new under the sun.

Grandparents aren't as naive as they often lead on to be. They were just like us when they were younger. And I'll be just like them if I'm fortunate enough to live as long.

I'll be repeating the same stories for the umpteenth time with more grey hair and wrinkles. I'll also have the same goal they had: A better future for us and those who follow.

Knowing the people who built the infrastructure we have now is stabilizing in a shaky world.

What if you don't have grandparents? Go to your oldest family member and record a conversation with them. Document stories, memories, and recollections of those who've come before you.

What if you're the oldest in the family? Break out the pen and paper and get to writing: The people you'll leave behind will thank you for it.

What if you're adopted? Realize at the highest level we're all family. Learning about what you're a part of is not limited to genetics.

(This post initially was written for Paths to Peace: 9 Short Ways to a Life of Lower Anxiety but ended up not making the cut. If you liked this post, consider downloading the free eBook now.)