Published on October 12, 2021
Kimberly Goessele, Alive President/CEO
“It feels dangerous to show up. But it’s not as terrifying as thinking, at the end of our lives, ‘What if I had shown up? What would have been different?'” – Brené Brown
October is Estate Planning month, and I am daring everyone I know to join me in showing up for it. People put off planning for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you’re healthy and busy or maybe you think you don’t have enough assets to bother…“estates” are only for the wealthy, right? Or maybe the phrase triggers fears of legal fees and bad memories of family dramas you’ve already endured. Maybe your mind goes numb, anticipating complicated paperwork.
I confess, I’ve experienced many of these reactions, but estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy or unhealthy. It’s for everyone, and it’s not even complicated anymore with today’s online tools. Estate planning is about facing fears (existential and practical) so we can give ourselves and our loved ones better futures. It’s about using our awareness of death to celebrate life. It’s making plans to keep giving…even after we are gone… and taking pride and joy in the idea of our legacies NOW.
When my mom passed away, she left a “playbook” for us to follow. All the details we needed about her wishes and desires were written out in front of us. There were no questions for our family to debate or worry over because she was telling what she wanted and how she wanted it. Her plan allowed me to be a daughter and not just the executor of an estate. I had time to mourn and time to celebrate her life.
Make your plan and celebrate it! Approach estate planning with a dance in your step and a drink in your hand. Check out our legacy conversation cards, try out free online tools from Giving Docs, find out how you can invest in your legacy from Alliance Bernstein, and then enjoy a few moments to congratulate yourself on all you are doing to make the future a better place right now!
Cheers!