How to create your LifePath on Eons

[NOTE: Longtime Eons members will notice a new feature on their "My Eons" page. It's called LifePath and it combines the features of LifeDreams and LifeMap. LifePath is in beta (testing mode). We're seeking feedback from members before we release this new feature to the public. Please use our special form to tell us what you think.]

Your LifePath is a timeline of the important events of your life and your goals & dreams for the future. It's a way to tell others about where you've been and where you hope to go.

But more than that, your LifePath is a "connection engine" that links you to resources and other Eons members who share your experiences and interests, whether it's backpacking through Europe in the '60s, the birth of your first grandchild, or rafting the Grand Canyon.

This tutorial explains the basic features of LifePath. If you are looking for information about a specific LifePath feature, check here.

Quick Tour: How LifePath is organized

LifePath is a rectangular box on your "My Eons" page. [It will eventually appear on your Profile page as well.]

The way your LifePath looks depends on the number of events and goals you have created. Eons members who built LifeMaps and LifeDreams will see that all of their entries have been carried over to their LifePaths.

The LifePath example below shows two "Looking Back" events (from LifeMap) and two "Looking Forward" goals & dreams (from LifeDreams).

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Featured events & goals on LifePath

Think of the LifePath rectangle on your "My Eons" page as a kind of mantel over the fireplace. On the left side are your "family photos" showing your life events so far. On the right side are some photos you clipped from magazines that show your goals & dreams about the places you want to go and the things you want to do.

1. Looking Back: There's room on the LifePath rectangle for up to four photos from the major events of your life. If you have created a LifeMap, you'll see some of your photos are here already. Click on a photo and you will go to a separate page for that LifePath Event. There you can write as much as you want about the event and change or add photos. (See below.)
2. Looking Forward: There's room on the LifePath rectangle for up to four photos that represent your top goals & dreams. If you have created any LifeDreams, you'll see photos for up to four of them here already. Click on a photo and you will go to the LifePath Event page for that goal or dream. There you can write about the goal or dream -- what you want to do and why.
3. Connections: Notice the wording and the numbers above the photos on the LifePath rectangle. The wording comes from the title you gave to an event. The numbers represent the number of potential connections your event has to member profiles, blogs, groups and articles on Eons. Clicking on this text will take you to the LifePath Search page, which we'll address below.

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LifePath page

Think of the LifePath rectangle as a magazine cover for your LifePath. It gives readers a sense of what they'll find inside. Think of the LifePath page as the table of contents. When you open the LifePath page, you'll see the featured events and goals (up to four photos each) at the top, this time resting on top of another rectangle, which is divided into two sections: Looking Back and Looking Forward.

1. Looking Back: On the left of this new rectangle, under "Looking Back," is a timeline where you can plot the events of your life - reminiscent of our old LifeMap. You can add more events and photos (see "Add another event to your LifePath). But this is also where you can change the featured photos that appear on the top section of the LifePath. Just "drag & drop" (e.g., click and hold your mouse on a photo, drag it to new location, and "drop" or let go) a photo from the timeline into one of the four frames on the left side.
2. Looking Forward: On the right of this new rectangle, under "Looking Forward," is a list where you can record your goals and dreams for the future -- reminiscent of our old LifeDreams feature. You can add more dreams & goals and photos (using the same link you use for the Timeline: "Add to My LifePath). Instead of setting a specific date, simply check the box that says "I haven't set a date for this yet." You can also change any of the four photos on the "Looking Forward" side by dragging and dropping photos from the Goals & Dreams list.

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3. Add to my LifePath: Fill in this form to create a new event in your LifePath - Looking Back or Looking Forward. You can "upload your own" photo from your hard drive or choose from among the sample photos. You can always replace it with another sample photo or your own. For the date of an event on your timeline, you can select just the year or the month and year if you want; and it is not necessary to select a date for your goals & dreams; just click the box "I haven't set a date." If you do set a date, it will appear in your goals & dreams list and in your timeline as well. (The LifePath timeline includes future as well as past events.)
4. Privacy Setting: You can set the privacy level for your LifePath in the Settings feature, found at the top right corner of any page and in your "My Eons" page under account settings / privacy settings. The default setting is that "Everyone" can view your LifePath.

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LifePath Entry page

As we've said, the LifePath rectangle is like a magazine cover and the LifePath page is a table of contents. Using that analogy, the LifePath Entry page is the featured article. You have a LifePath page for every event and every goal & dream you include in your LifePath. It's a special page where you can write as much as you want about it and upload an unlimited number of photographs.

Tip: Start small. Create a title, upload one photo, and just write a caption, giving the who, what, when, where of the event. Later you can add details and photos.

1. Slideshow / Gallery: You can designate one of the photos as the primary photo, and it will appear larger than the rest on the LifePath Event page; the same photo will show up in your timeline as the photo for that event. Visitors can view an enlarged version of each photo or an entire slideshow about the event. (Note: You can create a slideshow for goals & dreams as well as for past events.)
2. Looking Back: These links take you to the LifePath Events pages for other events in your LifePath.
3. Looking Forward: These links take you to the LifePath Events pages for other goals & dreams in your LifePath.
4. Connections: These links take you to member profiles, LifePaths, groups, blogs and articles that may relate to the content of this LifePath Event.
5. Comments: This is a place for readers to comment about what you have written. You can choose a setting that lets you review all comments first rather than allowing them to be posted directly.
6. Keywords: This is the way you help other people find this LifePath Event. Write as many specific words as you can think of that would tell people what this event or goal & dream is all about. This is how connections are made! Note: The LifePath will insert some common keywords in the space. If you do not agree with the selection, just click the X to delete it. You can add as many keywords as you want (type them all, with space between each; no need to add each keyword separately).

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LifePath Connections

Every word you write and every photo you post has the potential to link you to someone else in the Eons Community. We've seen how keywords make it easier for others to see what you have to offer. But, LifePath is a "connection engine" that also works the other way, linking you not only to other Eons members but also to resources on Eons, such as blogs and articles.

So how do you find people who share your experiences and/or goals & dreams? There are two places where you will find links: On your LifePath rectangle (the text below the photo) and on each of your LifePath Events (in the upper right corner).

Here's what you will find when you click on one of the following links;

1. LifePaths: This will be the smallest number of connections. It means that someone has created a LifePath Event that has at least one of the same keywords you have used.
2. Articles: The keywords will turn up articles on Eons that may be related to the content of your blog. For instance, if you listed a dream to "Visit Alaska," you could find a link to an Eons travel article.
3. People: This takes you to members' Profile pages, and finds connections to what they have written in their "About me" and "History" sections.
4. Blogs: You'll find connections to content in members' blog (journal) postings.
5. Groups: This will likely be the largest number of connections, since groups account for the most activity on Eons. You will find links to specific message threads where members have written something that triggers the search result for your LifePath Event.

Clicking on any of these links will take you to a list of LifePaths, articles, profiles, blogs or groups. Each "connection" will have a title and description. If the search turns up too many results, you can narrow the search by adding more specific keywords and deleting general keywords (particularly words like "go," "visit," "see," "first") from the event or goal in your LifePath. It takes some getting used to, but eventually you'll get a sense of the best keywords to include in each search.

We hope you enjoy the LifePath. It is a great way to begin recording your life through stories and photos, and to find resources to help you fulfill your own dreams for the future. It's all about making connections. And that's what Eons is all about.