Frequently Asked Questions

It is a gentle place to reflect on your life, preserve your story, and share it with the people who matter most. Our tagline says it simply: Reflect, Preserve, Share. The journal starts with the Life Inventory, a set of conversational questions about the roles you have lived. It then leads to the Life Journal, where you write your story in your own words and decide who gets to read it.

It is for anyone who wants to look back on their life with care, but particularly those who are older adults, living with a serious illness, or caring for someone they love and want to help them tell their story. Curious professionals are welcome too.

No. The journal is shaped around the idea that at the end of life our roles come to a close, and we leave as we came, taking the lessons we learned. But you do not have to be near the end to benefit. Many people reflect during a big life change, a loss, retirement, or simply because they want to understand themselves better. You can begin whenever it feels right.

Think of it as a quiet chat with a caring friend. You start by listing your most important roles, from most to least meaningful. Then you reflect on your values. After that, you take your roles one at a time and ask: What parts were truly me? What am I ready to set down? What never fit? At the end, you finish the sentence "Beyond my roles, I am..." and answer the childhood question, "What would you like to be when you grow up?" There are no right answers, and you can skip anything you like.

Not at all. Do a little today and come back tomorrow, next week, or next month. Answer what you want, skip what you do not, and change your mind whenever you like.

Yes. The printable Life Inventory Workbook has the same questions with plenty of room to write by hand, in large, easy-to-read print. You will find the download link at the bottom of the Life Inventory page. You can also simply talk the questions through with someone you love.

Yes. The questions on the website page do not save anything you type. They are there to guide your thinking. If you want to keep your answers, use the printable workbook. Once you print it and write in it, it stays with you, and you choose whether to share it.

RCADE and Role Reconstruction Therapy (RRT) are the ideas behind the journal. They look at how we live through roles and how we take in the parts of each role that truly fit us. The Life Inventory is the RRT tool for reflecting at the end of life. You do not need to know any of the theory to use it. If you are curious, you can read more on our RCADE and RRT pages. They are still-developing frameworks, and the journal is a tool for reflection, not a treatment.

Please use the contact form on the Home page. We would love to hear from you.