Ever walked into a movie halfway through? You were likely scrambling your brain trying to figure out what’s happening on screen. If you were lucky you had a friend whisper in your ear to catch you up.
Often, when people attend the Storyline Conference, this is their experience. Only they’ve not walked into a movie, they’ve walked into their life. It’s just that they hadn’t been paying attention.
One of the ten exercises we do at Storyline is to fill out our timeline. In this exercise, we list the positive and negative turns we’ve experienced and then place them on a grid that allows us to see the trajectory of our lives.
There are many benefits to this exercise, but the biggest ones are:
1. We realize that we’ve been blessed more than we’d previously thought.
2. We get a general sense that somebody is watching over us.
3. We realize that the negative turns in our lives eventually turn out okay.
4. We also realize that the negative turns have usually produced some kind of blessing, either by shaping our character or by preparing us for an important responsibility.
5. We begin to understand that our experiences have prepared us for something important.
You don’t have to attend a Storyline Conference to fill out your timeline. You can do it at home. I recommend creating the timeline with a group of friends or with your spouse. Here’s how it works.
• List the positive and negative turns you’ve experienced in your life. If you are 30, you’ve had between twelve and fifteen. A positive or negative turn is a story term and all good stories involve BOTH positive and negative turns. You can’t tell a good story without conflict, so the negative turns are just as, if not more important.
• Rate each positive turn on a scale of +1-10 and each negative turn on a scale of -1-10.
• Draw a horizontal line across the middle of a sheet of paper. At Storyline, we provide an elongated, folded piece of card stock. You may need a long sheet for this. (Imagine an elongated goalpost like in football. You want to draw an “H” with the center piece stretched across the page.
• In chronological order, place each life turn on the page. Draw a line up and list positive turns (the line should be as tall or short as the number value you gave it. Do the same for the negative turns.
When you’re done (this is a reflective exercise and it may take you a couple days) go through each negative turn and ask yourself why you are grateful that this hardship happened to you. Ask yourself what is the redemptive value of this negative turn.
I’ve posted a picture here of Joseph’s timeline. Joseph was the shepherd in Genesis who became the second most powerful man in the world. As you can see, his life was filled with trouble. But if he hadn’t been sold into slavery, run Potiphar’s house, been imprisoned and run the prison, he would never have been qualified or able to become great.
Life looks differently when you understand it as a story.
Also, share your timeline with a spouse or close friend. At Storyline, we are always amazed at how couples who’ve been married for years understand each other in a much more comprehensive way.
[...] The Power of Knowing Your Story [...]
Great idea! Will keep me from rambling while telling my story! ;O)
I think I do so much reflection over my life story as it is that such an exercise wouldn’t provide much benefit. It’s a good idea, though, for those who are just sort of drifting along.
Here is a thought maybe you should reflect on whether or not that comment was necessary.
Yes, you can do this at home…but it is WAY more fun to do it in another city, while sitting in a cozy coffee shop (that makes leaves and hearts out of the foam), awaiting to eat dinner at a yummy clam chowder joint, with plans to walk around a one of a kind book store all evening/night.
which means, you get to add one more “positive turn” on your timeline.
And, yes, clam chowder and book store = positive turn in my life…add a great conference, that coffee shop and a donut from “insert devilish name here” (can’t remember it) and I can squeeze 4-6 months of joy on that one.
worth every penny.
Great exercise. I have heard about/and done this as a spiritual timeline, but never as a life story. While I usually know what lessons I learned or what I am grateful for in my head, it wouldn’t hurt to throw it down on paper.
Would a spiritual timeline and a life timeline differ? Aren’t they one in the same?
There may be many similarities, however significant spiritual moments didn’t always occur during a physical event or time. Also, there have been awesome moments in my life that didn’t necessarily have a spiritual connection to them, however would be apart of my story.
Crazy timing. Our small group is currently studying Mark Batterson’s latest book – “Soulprint” Tonight we meet to discuss the second chapter about looking back in our lives to find the real path we’re on – how those life experiences never really leave us, they shape who we are, and therefore are still a part of who we are. Don’s blog TODAY ties into that so well. I hope the two authors don’t have a problem with us mingling their material tonight. God is certainly speaking through them to us. Bonne Terre, MO.
I recently reread Million MIles in a Thousand Years and have been pondering how the negative and positive turns in my life have brought me to this point. And I think that at this point I need to stop playing it safe, or fearing people’s responses and take on new adventure.
However, I also reread the story of Joseph and felt inspired in a different way. Joseph was unjustly betrayed by his brothers and Potifar, but ultimately he was elevated to unimaginable heights and vindicated before all. I think first we should recognize that only Christ is unjustly punished and only he deserves to be raised.
I am more like Joseph’s brothers who can’t accept that the main storyline is about Joseph and not about me. So, while I believe that being part of God’s Story means that mine is significant, I find that comparing myself to Joseph’s story makes me desire vindication, rather than humility unless I identify with Joseph’s brothers.
This is good stuff
It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the blog. Just a few minutes ago, I was musing the thought of how I feel like life hasn’t yet begun, for me. That may sound rather smug or ungrateful, but what I mean by that is that I know there is more…
I’m in a season of waiting, right now. So life feels kind of slow-paced and uneventful-but that is coming off a few years of intense activty: new house, having babies, changes on jobs, the death of a parent. So its ok with me to have some ‘down time’.
The timeline will prove to be helpful. It will bless me in seeing God’s fingerprints all over my life. I’m in the process of a bible study on the book of Esther. Interesting fact: God is not mentioned in the book. As the narrative plays out, the reader puts the pieces together and can definitely see the hand of God throughout the story.
Our lives can read much the same way. If we take the time to see, God is evident and in control of all situations. All things work together for good to those who love Him! Have a blesses day
I love your phrase, “season of waiting”. It so defines how I feel at the moment.
I’ve been spending a lot of time in this sort of reflection and on Wednesday I challenged our group of youth students to think of their own stories, what they’ve done and especially where they’re going. I’m pretty sure I’ll be doing this time line exercise with them next Wednesday. Thanks for this!
I should note that we did this exercise tonight with our students. I wanted to create an intimate feel since I was going to ask them to share what they’d like to from their timelines. When the students started to share, we lost power in the building and ended up lighting tons of candles. It created this amazing intimate atmosphere and the students shared from their hearts about the highest and lowest points of their lives. It was incredible and we had the opportunity to learn so much from and about each of them. Thank you for prompting this!
I wanted to go to this conference last year. I couldn’t because of a work conflict. So I planned a year out (I call this future timelining). I will be filling out my timeline in Portland this year at the Storyline Conference. I can’t wait.
This sounds like a terrific exercise, I’m going to give it a try this weekend. Thank you for the great suggestion.
I was watching a movie and thought about you… The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry. Blessings
This article is paralleling the book, “The Good Life,” by Chuck Colson that I am reading. It’s been amazing to read how Colson’s life was changed, as well as a few others he mentions, through circumstances that were unimaginable to me. The negatives in their lives were so worth it to them to have gone through. I’m beginning to see a story here…about me! Thanks for the prompt to start with a timeline…I’ll take you up on it!
[...] The Power of Knowing Your Story by Donald Miller. “Life looks differently when you understand it is a story.” When you understand that, you may just live differently. [...]
[...] every few years, I follow his blog for more regular doses of insight. The latest post on his blog is an activity that he does at his Storyline conference, a conference about purpose and life. [...]
Don,
My Story involves a physically present, but emotionally absent father. It also involves a mother driven by fear – a behavior which I have either learned or it has been passed through to me spiritually. When you shared about your lack of relationship with your father (in A Million Miles…) were you concerned about how your father would feel if/when he heard your message? I want to begin to tell my Story publicly, but I am not sure how to go about sharing what it was like growing up in my household without dishonoring my parents. I still have relationships with them, however I feel like I cannot effectively share my Story without describing these relationships. Do you have a recommendation on how to share my Story in a way that still honors them? Is that even possible?
[...] If you aren’t very familiar with Donald Miller, I suggest you start here. [...]
[...] is a link to a post Don made on last Friday, February 9, called The Power of Knowing Your Story, about one of [...]
Why so much emphasis on ME? Where is Jesus? True Christ followers are dead to themselves. It’s not my story… it’s never been my story, but His! I’m not saying we don’t have individual testimonies, but where does it point? Where is the focus? Less of me, more of Christ. Come on, Don; this isn’t authentic Christianity at all
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20
Hi Nina,
I think you may have misinterpreted the exercise here. While you may be dead to yourself and alive in Christ, you’re not actually dead. Good things and bad things happen to everybody and that shapes our life experiences. I found the thought of looking back on the negative experiences of life and seeing how God brought you through to be very encouraging.
[...] on his blog, promoting his Storyline conference (which I’ve heard is worth attending) called The Power of Knowing Your Story. The two exercises are a bit different so I’ll give you the instructions I’ve always [...]
[...] http://donmilleris.com/2012/02/09/the-power-of-knowing-your-story/ [...]
[...] I recently read Donald Miller’s blog post on ‘The Power of Knowing Your Story’ and as if expected, it grabbed me. Rarely would I participate in exercises as he suggested, but this one stirred in my heart for a try, and no doubt, Life does become clearer when you understand your story! http://donmilleris.com/2012/02/09/the-power-of-knowing-your-story/ [...]
Thanks for the inspiration to blog…
I did this exercise, and I have much more positives than negatives – I am grateful and more aware of my life’s story.