Stories: The Family Legacy
Article Published by: storywork.com
A Guide for Recollection and Sharing
By Richard Stone
Stories: The Family Legacy is a uniquely valuable guide for our journey into self-discovery. Here, you’ll dig out your hidden “family album” of memories, reclaiming forgotten bonds and perhaps discovering new ones. You’ll experience storytelling’s profound power to bring people together around the fire of our common need to make sense of our lives, and to share that sense with each other.
Storytelling can transform you, your friendships, your family and work experience–the way you view your past, your present, and your future. Through this ancient art, here translated into the language of modern life, you’ll find a new enthusiasm; discover a deeper sense of integrity, purpose, and direction; and, perhaps see the story of your life in a new light.
What People Are Saying
“I felt excited by the possibilities of using your book in my practice. It is important for my clients to feel they are understood in their pain. Your personal accounts help in two ways. One is that they are balanced in the memory of happy and sad emotions. The variety of exercises gives a wholeness to the past and lends itself to the therapeutic assumption of the healing effects of wholeness. Another advantage of the variety of ways you approach story discovery is that it allows people the opportunity to choose a comfortable risk level to begin exploring their pasts. The other way your personal accounts help is that you become a mentor for the process through personal examples. You are brave enough to share of yourself, which gives courage to your readers. You show again and again the potential for each person within a family to be a bearer of wisdom. Each generation has the possibility of reciprocating wisdom as family stories are shared.”
Connie Sweeney, Ph.D.
President, Mid America Institute of Logotherapy
“Capturing memories of the family is a frequent wish that I hear from my friends, especially as they face the end of their parents’ lives. Most of us who feel that way are intimidated by the enormity of the task. How to capture the story? Are we to write it down, and type it up, and do something with it after that? None of us ever really gets around to it on our own. Rick Stone’s book helped me confront that barrier for myself. I could see that I could actually do it. There were concrete examples and suggestions that gave me direction. . . .The book is the next best thing to doing a workshop on this matter with Rick.”
J.R. Newbrough, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
“Rick Stone gently and subtly guides us through the whys and hows of story-telling as part of our healing journey. He teaches us to value our own lives by telling them, to be open to hidden surprises, and to harvest the wisdom of our experiences. He teaches us about story-telling and story-listening as mutual acts of love between generations. Sharing his own stories, Rick Stone teaches us that our healing memories are a vital part of our spiritual evolution. He helps us learn the healing alchemy of turning memories into stories. Rick Stone teaches us to find the meanings of our lives through telling our stories; when we share those stories we create a precious legacy.”
Sheldon R. Isenberg, Ph.D.
University of Florida
“Richard Stone is a gentle, sensitive guide with a nurturing spirit whose work inspires us to profoundly harmonize our lives with our family heritage. His practical, easy-to-use exercises and techniques stimulate personal and interpersonal growth and facilitate creative intergenerational communication. This is an eminently readable book, rich with ideas. I highly recommend this book for psychotherapists and for all those open to transformational reconciliation.”
Bahira Sugarman, DCSW
“Stories provide a window into our soul and intimacy spells into-me-see. Richard Stone’s little book is a gem, because it gives us a map and accompanies us on a soulful journey into our lives.”
Hedy Schleifer, M.A.
“This little book should be read by everyone, especially health care professionals and teachers. Richard Stone tells us how to start on an exciting journey that never ends because each generation can add their stories about the power of the human spirit.”
Gina Giovinco, R.N., Ph.D., Ed.D.
Diplomat, Logotherapy
“Stories: The Family Legacy is a beautifully orchestrated story guidebook that provides an accessible way to retrieve lost life. It helps to create a tapestry of life-connections through marking the events and places which touch the soul. It brings tears of sadness and joy to the eyes, and rekindles the ageless life spark that carries us through time. It is especially helpful with individuals and families who are coping with illness or loss. They are able to use this book as a guide in their grief process to extract the meaning and essence from their tragedy as they learn to lay to rest some of their suffering. Stories provide an ideal way of being our own “fair witness” to the healing and transforming power of telling and hearing our life stories.”
Sheryle R. Baker, M.A.
Executive Director
The Life Center
About Scott Livengood
Scott Livengood is the owner and CEO of Dewey’s Bakery, Inc., a commercial wholesale bakery with a respected national brand of ultra premium cookies and crackers.
Previously, Scott worked at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for 27 years, starting as a trainee in 1977. He was appointed President of the company in 1992, then CEO and Chairman of the Board.
Scott has served on numerous boards including the Carter Center, the Calloway School of Business and the Babcock School of Management, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.
He started a new business, StoryWork International, in 2016 with Richard Stone. The signature achievement to date is LivingStories, a story-based program for improved patient experiences and outcomes in partnership with Novant Health.
