About Your Baby Boomer Life Book: This post was inspired by a Facebook friend,

Susan Schanerman and her idea
about the Bliss Book. 

It reminded me of my own story.
 
For over thirty years I have kept what I call a personal portfolio.

In many ways it is my Baby Boomer Life Book. It is really a large three ring binder with photos,resumes, letters of reference, testimonial letters from clients, various awards, items from Rotary, certificates from my earliest speaking engagements like the Lions, Kiwanis, etc., and all community service documents and letters from Meals on Wheels, Boy Scouts, Red Cross, etc.. Even copies of my brief but beautiful color glossy SI Magazine and more. I put each page in a clear plastic pageholder so I don't have to punch holes in my precious mementos . 

Over time it has become quite thick and a rather good visually documented history of my life.

I especially recommend this to young professionals just starting their careers.  As things change in your life and career, you add to your education and accomplishments, this can be a pretty awesome thing to show a prospective employer or just for yourself and later the family.  I have even kept college transcripts and Dean's List letters there.  Plus, you will never have to worry about an employer doubting the validity of your claims and stories when you are so thorough in your own personal documentation.  Also, it comes in handy for PR and credentials for my own events and future books.

Keep track of every business card you personally ever had along with addresses/phone numbers of employers. 

I am a former member of SAG and AFTRA. I have those membership cards  in there with photos and headshots, otherwise who would ever believe it?  Future generations only know what they hear and remember what they see.

With so many changes and evolutions in the different phases of our lives,  even we forget some of the awe inspiring and wonderful things we have personally experienced unless we have a special place to keep track of them. How about a photo of the time you bungee jumped or walked on fire?

As much as we love our videos and audios and all the new online tools available to us day by day; there is still a use for a hard copy book that can be kept and passed on to curious grandchildren.

Create a personal Bliss Book or Portfolio Binder for your graduate as a gift to get them started on the path to a well planned future filled with great memories of community service, jobs, promotions, events, travel photos, letters of recommendation, testimonials etc.  A gift like this takes only a  little time to create for someone who is just launching their career or going off to college.

An Amazing Anniversary or Retirement Gift
Create a portfolio for your husband or wife and fill it with an amazing array of life experiences and contributions. Now that is a great anniversary or retirement gift and it will continue to grow and change as their life direction changes.  I believe this could even be the inspiration or the basis for a book about your life or work that you have been wanting to author. 

Your "Baby Boomer Life Book" is waiting to take form.

Are you visualizing your personal portforlio? I really hope this will inspire you to create your own version of your  'personal portfolio'.  Get excited again about your life's, work, and accomplishments.

Sometimes when it seems like things just aren't going as I've planned it feels really good to sit down and remind myself of all I have done and to remember that there are always challenges and that any goal worth having is worth working for. I know that if I could do the things I did then, with so little tangible evidence of guaranteed  success, that I can do that and more now.  I always feel empowered by my own portfolio. You will too!

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