Acting on your best intentions

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard of the best intentions of either a BABY BOOMER of A BABY BOOMER’S PARENTS to capture their legacy in some written format, I’d be up there on Bill Gates’ payscale! If I had 2 dollars for those I’ve encountered who flip-flop with this idea for an age, before giving up in ‘where do I start despair’, I’d quickly double my money.On some deep level – especially in our so-called ‘third’ or ‘golden’ age and with the growing awareness of Father TIme – I have found that many people YEARN, and often SCRAMBLE to find ways to make their lives count. That’s what it is to be human and fleeting in the context of all time. ‘If I don’t make my life count in some tangible way, then why all the grind and what with all my lessons learned?’

The sense of regret that creeps into people’s lives at this time can be overwhelming. This can relate to any number of pain points – such as the recognition of opportunities wasted, conversations not had, flawed priorities, or relationships not nurtured. What we conveniently lock away in the cabinets of our mind during the busy years, comes back to haunt us as we stare our mortality in the face. And it can be paralysing. The pain of it all can cripple and forms yet another impediment to collating some sort of life memento that will endure.

‘Maria’, was 82 when she came to me looking for help with her legacy. She was determined to share key life stories, relating to a trailblazing career she’d enjoyed as a young woman, with younger members of her family. Maria was, it so happened, a talented communicator. Writing per se was not her problem. But after some exploration, it became clear that although her husband had died a few years’ earlier, she still harboured a gnawing resentment towards him – a product of his own generation – for actively thwarting her career and for a generally unhappy marriage that spanned decades. This unresolved grief caused Maria to self-isolate, (and this story well pre-dates current times!). It also carved a sad distance between her and her two adult sons.

It became clear to me that Maria’s dream of writing her memoir couldn’t take flight, until she’d tackled some of the issues that haunted her. These issues were the BLOCK, in her ‘writer’s block.

’After some gentle persuasion, Maria finally chose to tackle the ghosts that haunted her and put them to rest. In doing so, she created the necessary space to get started on the legacy project she craved to embark upon, before it was too late. And the result was no less than extraordinary.

… AND SO.

If you are interested in somehow capturing YOUR life stories or in some way eternalising your ‘personhood’, but feel STUCK, there could be any number of reasons why.

I can help.

Feel free to contact me by direct message and request a no-cost 45 minute call to talk it through. Once scheduled, we’ll spend some time chewing the fat and getting to understand your circumstances, your particular set of obstacles, and get clear on what you want to achieve. If I can support your legacy design, I most certainly will. If not, for whatever reason, I’ll help come up with some sort of plan.

Happy Thursday!