Dedication
To all the dead people I have met over my career. I am sure many of you did not have your affairs in order. The endless stories I have heard and overheard from your grieving relatives and friends clarify that many sour situations like yours could have been avoided. This has pushed me to the point of taking this bold stand. My commitment to all of you is to inspire many others to have their affairs organized. We both know the lingering regrets of not being prepared last an awfully long time.
Introduction
In my career of more than 30 years, I have been surrounded by death and end-of-life roles. I have witnessed the worst circumstances countless times. I have also seen how proactive foresight and thoughtful planning have left positive, loving memories for survivors. This is the legacy all of us need to leave behind.
Death is a situation that no one can be entirely prepared for. Most people do not have the experience with the issues surrounding death to be familiar with it. I hope to help improve that by clarifying some of the uncertainty.
This book is different from many others. It has been written from the perspective of a quiet-natured fellow, with firsthand experience in planning ahead correctly, taking several points of view. I address issues of avoidance and control, which for many people is a struggle (myself included). I hope my experience will help you and those you love and care about.
My objective is to help reduce your stress, provide practical methods to save your family money, help enhance relationships, and inspire you to leave a memorable legacy. Each of us will leave some sort of legacy when we die but leaving the best one possible is my message. Too many people close their minds to the concept of dramatic changes occurring in their life. Lottery winners are rare; death is inevitable.
It is happening all around us, all the time. Unfortunately, however, many people are literally tuned out. Even though we are increasingly exposed to death on the news and online, far too many have the perspective of ‘it won’t happen to me’ mentality. Others do not know where to begin. This is not only a significant problem in North America but on several other continents as well.
The emotional toll death has on survivors is often intense, long-lasting, and real. It is the universal humanizing condition to which none of us are immune. Society would be much better off embracing their mortality and controlling what they can, while they can.
When we are young adults, we are eager to make our own decisions. It is a natural progression of becoming an independent adult. The control we have is prevalent throughout our lives, and we do not want it taken from us. Does it, therefore, also make sense that we should do our best to control what happens after we die? To a degree, this is indeed possible.
My experiences have allowed me to conclude that the key to dramatically eliminating the familiar feelings of frustration and regret after a death can be successfully achieved by preparing for what we want to have happen before it occurs. Aside from an unexpected accident, we do have that control.
As responsible adults, we pride ourselves on building a life with purpose and meaning. Raising our children to be successful members of society and helping them achieve their goals is the objective for many of us. As a responsible parent, it is the right thing to do. Is it not also our responsibility to plan for the end of our own lives, to ultimately make it easier for those we love?Yes, it is.
Death is a situation that no one can be entirely prepared for. Most people do not have the experience with the issues surrounding death to be familiar with it. I hope to help improve that by clarifying some of the uncertainty.
This book is different from many others. It has been written from the perspective of a quiet-natured fellow, with firsthand experience in planning ahead correctly, taking several points of view. I address issues of avoidance and control, which for many people is a struggle (myself included). I hope my experience will help you and those you love and care about.
My objective is to help reduce your stress, provide practical methods to save your family money, help enhance relationships, and inspire you to leave a memorable legacy. Each of us will leave some sort of legacy when we die but leaving the best one possible is my message. Too many people close their minds to the concept of dramatic changes occurring in their life. Lottery winners are rare; death is inevitable.
It is happening all around us, all the time. Unfortunately, however, many people are literally tuned out. Even though we are increasingly exposed to death on the news and online, far too many have the perspective of ‘it won’t happen to me’ mentality. Others do not know where to begin. This is not only a significant problem in North America but on several other continents as well.
The emotional toll death has on survivors is often intense, long-lasting, and real. It is the universal humanizing condition to which none of us are immune. Society would be much better off embracing their mortality and controlling what they can, while they can.
When we are young adults, we are eager to make our own decisions. It is a natural progression of becoming an independent adult. The control we have is prevalent throughout our lives, and we do not want it taken from us. Does it, therefore, also make sense that we should do our best to control what happens after we die? To a degree, this is indeed possible.
My experiences have allowed me to conclude that the key to dramatically eliminating the familiar feelings of frustration and regret after a death can be successfully achieved by preparing for what we want to have happen before it occurs. Aside from an unexpected accident, we do have that control.
As responsible adults, we pride ourselves on building a life with purpose and meaning. Raising our children to be successful members of society and helping them achieve their goals is the objective for many of us. As a responsible parent, it is the right thing to do. Is it not also our responsibility to plan for the end of our own lives, to ultimately make it easier for those we love?Yes, it is.
Think of the following five chapters as your key to communicating and planning your wishes for the essential phase of your life – the last one. It takes courage to face your mortality, and it takes focused action to put prudent strategies into place. Your reward will be less stress, stronger relationships, and greater peace of mind.
There is no need for your final moments to be filled with worry and regret. Having your affairs in order is one of the most unique gifts of love you can give. This nurturing process fills you with a calm that will permeate every aspect of your remaining life. With so many benefits to making your final plans, there are no reasons to postpone it.
My message will remind you of the delicate nature of life. It will help you better understand the significance of being adequately prepared and how to effectively move that vital process forward. Below is a brief description of what is to follow.
Chapter 1: Discusses the importance of communication, what a lack of it can cause and how to ensure your final wishes are respected.
Chapter 2: Examines the topic of wills, types, and how to set them up.
Chapter 3: Discusses funeral, cremation, and burial planning.
Chapter 4: Addresses overall estate/legacy planning.
Chapter 5: Examines powers of attorney/personal directives.
The Summary provides inspiration to help you with this important planning. It also touches on how the stress of growing older can actually be reduced by going through this process.
As you read through the chapters, I suggest that you take notes for future reference.
Let us begin.
There is no need for your final moments to be filled with worry and regret. Having your affairs in order is one of the most unique gifts of love you can give. This nurturing process fills you with a calm that will permeate every aspect of your remaining life. With so many benefits to making your final plans, there are no reasons to postpone it.
My message will remind you of the delicate nature of life. It will help you better understand the significance of being adequately prepared and how to effectively move that vital process forward. Below is a brief description of what is to follow.
Chapter 1: Discusses the importance of communication, what a lack of it can cause and how to ensure your final wishes are respected.
Chapter 2: Examines the topic of wills, types, and how to set them up.
Chapter 3: Discusses funeral, cremation, and burial planning.
Chapter 4: Addresses overall estate/legacy planning.
Chapter 5: Examines powers of attorney/personal directives.
The Summary provides inspiration to help you with this important planning. It also touches on how the stress of growing older can actually be reduced by going through this process.
As you read through the chapters, I suggest that you take notes for future reference.
Let us begin.
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