August 28 2017

By: Jackie Hook
Monday, August 28, 2017

Attending to your own legacy is an important function of your life now. One way to do that is to write an ethical will or “legacy letter.” Rabbi Jack Riemer and Dr. Nathaniel Stampler say, “…the impulse to write it is deeply human as well as sanctified by tradition.” They suggest you address numerous topics such as:

  • These were the formative events of my life…
  • This is the world from which I came…
  • These are some of the important lessons that I have learned in my life…
  • These are the people who influenced me the most…
  • These are some of the favorite possessions that I want you to have and these are the stories that explain what makes these things so precious to me…
  • These are causes for which members of our family have felt a sense of responsibility and I hope you will too…
  • These are the mistakes that I regret having made the most in my life that I hope you will not repeat…
  • This is my definition of true success…
  • This is how I feel as I look back over my life…
  • I would like to ask your forgiveness for… and I forgive your for…
  • I want you to know how much I love you and how grateful I am to you for …

Stephen Covey said, “People are internally motivated by their own four needs: to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy.” We want to help you meet those needs. Please check out our News & Events page for more information.

                                                                                              (First printed in the July 26 Centre County Gazette)

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