Read The 10 most important things I’ve learned about trust over my 100 years from the Washington Post.

George P. Shultz’s article could be expanded so that each of his ten points could be an entire chapter. This is a good example of taking a theme, as Mr. Shultz chose trust, and collecting stories around that theme. As you review and sort the stories you have written, look for an underlying theme.

Possible themes:

• the land where you or your family lived and your connection to it, the beauty of the seasons there and what the land means to you.
• center on your family life and things you learned from your parents and elders and how you applied those lessons in your life.
• your children and what you tried to teach them as they grew and how your family activities mirrored those ideas.
• your work life and the principles you brought to the profession.

Any of these, and others, could be a unifying element for organizing your life stories.