The universe is made up of stories, not atoms. Muriel Rukeyser Some years ago, when I first read this quote by American poet Muriel Rukeyser, I wrote in my journal that someday I would write a book about how and why personal stories are so important. By listening to and reading stories others share about their lives, and by sharing our stories with them, we get to know ourselves and each other better. We learn that diversity is a strength, not a weakness. Why do we even care about painful past events and experiences if not to identify and value lessons learned so we can prevent such mistakes from happening again and again? We are now at a time in history when we need to let go of our egos and come together with more humility, compassion and gratitude for ourselves, each other and our beautiful world. This book is my dream come true to inspire you to write and share your own life stories, too. Pamela Harman Daugavietis For a variety of resources to help you write your own life stories, turn to the Appendix beginning on Page 89.