1. An Introduction to Your Legacy of Values
9/11/2012
An Introduction to Your Legacy of Values
Ethical Wills / Legacy Letters
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

2. The Importance of Legacy in Our Lives
6/1/2018
The Importance of Legacy in Our Lives
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

3. Why Create a Legacy? Define our personal transcendence
9/11/2012
Why Create a Legacy?
As humans, we’re hardwired to:
Define our personal transcendence
Share our wisdom and life experiences
Create generational connections
Find purpose in our lives
Maintain our vitality
We are hardwired to embark upon our legacy journey.
It is also our natural human obligation and a blessing to create and share our legacies.
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

4. Life Purpose We all wish to feel that our lives mattered…
9/11/2012
Life Purpose
We all wish to feel that our lives mattered…
that we made a difference while we were here,
that we leave this world with few or no regrets,
and that we will be remembered favorably.
And at the very core of our being is a need to feel that our lives mattered…
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

5. Legacy of Values The Voice of the Heart 10/29/2012
This workshop will focus on the Legacy of Values – our Ethical Will or Legacy Letter.
The Voice of the Heart
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

6. We all want to be remembered and everyone leaves something behind.
10/29/2012
Our Legacy of Values
We all want to be remembered and everyone leaves something behind.
Seniab
For those wondering, Seniab is not an obscure 4th Century Middle Eastern philosopher. It’s actually Dr. Barry Baines’ name spelled backwards. This quote is a composite put together by many people’s comments who have attended this type of workshop over the past several years.
The point is that all of us leave a legacy, and the Ethical Will/Legacy Letter program will help us to be proactive about it.
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

7. Our Legacy of Values What is an Ethical Will?
10/29/2012
Our Legacy of Values
What is an Ethical Will?
A way to record and share your
values
faith
beliefs
life lessons
hopes for the future
love
forgiveness
with family, friends, and community.
You can think of the analogy of a will of inheritance as a vehicle for bequeathing your valuables and assets, and an ethical will as a vehicle for bequeathing your values.
However, there are important differences.
An ethical will is not a legal document
Modern adoption of this tradition provides for sharing while the author is still alive
An Ethical Will can consist of a few paragraphs, a letter or a multiple page document.
It can be written once or enhanced over time.
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life 7

8. What is a Legacy Journey?
6/1/2018
What is a Legacy Journey?
Articulating our values, hopes and life lessons; conveying our life wisdom through our stories; and aligning our generosity with our actions.
How we get to the heart of what really matters by summing up our life purpose, lessons, values and dreams for ourselves and future generations.
Legacy development is the result of consciously taking action: thinking, reflecting, observing, sharing, and summing up our lives.
This is one of the most important gifts we leave our loved ones and communities.
However, it continues to be under utilized.
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

9. Legacy’s Impact on Resiliency
Children who know family stories and values have higher self-esteem and are better prepared to handle life’s ups an downs.
Engaging in life reflection during difficult times often results in greater resiliency and hope.
Understanding our stories, values and passions helps us live our lives with greater purpose and intent.

10. Our Legacy of Values When to write an Ethical Will?
10/29/2012
Our Legacy of Values
When to write an Ethical Will?
Life transitions and turning points
Challenging events or life situations
Child’s special milestone or when they become an adult
Birth of a child, grandchild or great grandchild
Loss or illness
National disasters
When the spirit moves us!
Having life experience and preserving it in the form of an ethical will is a very meaningful and significant activity for an individual to complete.
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

11. Four Phases of Adulthood
6/1/2018
Four Phases of Adulthood
The Mature Mind
Gene Cohen, MD, PhD
Midlife reevaluation: 30s-60s
Liberation: 50s-70s
Summing up: late 60s-90s
Encore: 70s and beyond
How many of you are familiar with the psychologist, Eric Erickson’s studies on human development? His work basically covers eight phases from birth up to adulthood, then it basically ends with “you become an adult…then you die…”
Dr. Gene Cohen, a gerontologist, found in his work that contrary to popular beliefs, the human mind continues to have positive development and growth with age as long as we keep it active. In his book, The Mature Mind, he defines four new phases of adult life.
Midlife reevaluation: 40s-60s, not a crisis, but a quest to search for what is true and meaningful in our lives
Liberation: 50s-60s, desire to innovate, experiment and free ourselves
Summing up: late 60s-70s, time of resolution and review, desire to give back and share what we have learned
Encore: 70s and beyond, time for an encore rather than a swan song, desire to remain vital
Which is why the Legacy Journey is so important: it provides us with a better sense of who we are, it helps us share our values and wisdom, and it helps us teach our loved ones to give back through generational generosity,
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

12. Midlife Re-evaluation: 30s-60s
Typically engaged by those in their 40s-early 50s
A time of exploration and transition
A quest to search for what is true and meaningful

13. Liberation: 50s-60s Typically engaged by those in the late 50s-70s
A time of experimentation and innovation
Seeking the freedom to speak one’s mind
The question: If not now, when?

14. Summing Up: Late 60s-70s
Fueled by awareness of one’s mortality and physical changes
Motivated to share wisdom
See ourselves as ‘keepers of the culture’-stories
Desire to find meaning in life through review, summarization, and giving back
Desire to give back through volunteerism, community activism, philanthropy
People feel compelled to attend to unfinished business and resolve conflicts

15. Encore: 70s and Beyond
Plans and actions shaped by desire to restate and reaffirm major themes in our lives
Explore variations on those themes
Desire to live well and impact family and community

16. Our Legacy of Values Why write an Ethical Will? Honor the past
10/29/2012
Our Legacy of Values
Why write an Ethical Will?
Honor the past
Capture the present
Inform the future
“Honor the Past, Capture the Present, Inform the Future”
is reprinted with permission from:
Anita Hecht, LCSW Director, Life History Services, LLC
Why should I write a Ethical Will/Legacy Letter?
Honor the past: By remembering family history and connecting to our roots
Capture the present: By identifying what we value most
Inform the future: By creating a ‘legacy of the spirit’
I often times will have participants mark this slide as one that is particularly important and valuable.
Other reasons for the “why”
If you don’t share your heartfelt wishes, beliefs and values with your loved ones, no one else will
Lets you reflect and reframe life experiences, and enjoy your achievements
It helps you identify what you value most and what you stand for
Ask participants to develop additional reasons to help create ownership
Go to exercise #2 on page 13 Linking the Generations
Copyright 2012 Celebrations of Life

17. Next Steps
Sign up for our next upcoming scheduled Ethical Will/Legacy Letter Writing Workshop.
Register here
For individual legacy coaching information, please contact Beatriz at
Thank you!!!!!!!
Personalize this to your next steps