   |
Change a pattern, change your life–live without regrets
Call for an appointment: (630) 406-0075 |
    |
||
LegacyBy Bonnie Artman Christmas morning, 2010 and once again our family was gathered around the dining room table to share our highlights of the past year, what we are most grateful for, and wisdom of things we'd learned over the past 12 months.
There were stories told with laughter, some with tears. We learned more about one another as people and gained understanding of why what we shared had meant something to us. Even my nephews in their late teens shared from their heart and listened with keen awareness as their Grandparents told stories about life lessons and their values.
This tradition of answering the above questions has been going on 11 years in our family. What started out as superficial sharing that took (at the most) 20 minutes for nine people to share, has turned into almost two hours on Christmas morning. It has become a time of storytelling of what's important to all of us, and passing down from two generations what matters most to us...in essence our legacies.
Webster's Dictionary defines legacy as "money or property left to someone by a will. Anything handed down as from an ancestor".
Material things, money, property can be handed down, yet what really matters in the end is what we pass down relationally...how we live our lives. Things that stick with us are matters of the heart, those are the things that really last. Like how we treat one another; is it with character, honesty, integrity? Are the words we say consistent with our actions?
When we disagree, can we talk about the problem and resolve it without bitterness and holding a grudge? We can say anything, but how we live is the true reflection of what our legacy will be. In 2009, a family friend was with our family for Christmas and part of our sharing. At the end, she said "I wish my family would talk like this". My Mother quickly responded, "We didn't always know how to do this, we had to learn."
My family is by no means perfect and we have had our struggles, and probably will again in the future - that's part of being in relationships. The legacy I am most grateful for is despite the disagreements and hard times, there has been a willingness to learn and grow through those rough patches.
Over the course of 2011, the Making Conscious Choices Newsletters will address topics related to creating your legacy. For this month, consider what legacy was passed down to you from your parents, extended family, perhaps an influential role model.
· What did you learn about relationships?
· What was modeled to you about what matters in life? · What values do you want to hold onto and what patterns do you want to change? Whatever legacy you were given, you can decide what you want to pass down to the next generatio
|
One Choice
