“Charles Garfield
provides mature and
younger readers alike
with the guidance they’ll
need to grow older with
resilience, gratitude,
and forgiveness.” —David Sheff, author of the New York
Times #1 bestseller Beautiful Boy
describe your life were you to actualize these
neglected and ignored parts of yourself.
Example: my parents met in an acting class after
high school where my father was the leading man
in a play. He loved acting more than anything but
during the Depression there were few ways to
earn a living as an actor. For 40 years, he worked
as a salesman but never forgot his dream of
being an actor. Within weeks after retiring, he
joined a local acting troupe and swiftly became
the leading man in a performance that ran at
various senior centers in his local area and he
was, in his own words, “Happier than I’ve ever
been in my life.”
how can we be grateful for a
life we might regret?
The two keys to alleviating regret are selfcompassion
and self-forgiveness. Write a
forgiveness letter to yourself that includes the
observation that you did the best you could given
who you were and what you knew at the time.
Also, write in the letter what you’ve learned from
what you regret that you’ll never again do. Allow
yourself to feel the gratitude that comes from
letting go of self-recrimination and from learning
to be a better person as you learn the lessons that
can come from regret.
how can we leave a legacy
that we are proud of?
First, ask yourself: what am I leaving behind for
my children, grandchildren, other people, and
the world around me that I am most proud of.
Second, what “legacy project” might I develop
and/or commit to in later life that will serve
as an expression of my higher values – beauty,
compassion, justice, service, etc. This legacy
project can be as simple as writing a letter to your
grandchildren about your life and what values
were most important to you.
It is important to remember that a “legacy
project” doesn’t need to be something as
grand as Shanti Project. It can be as simple,
but as generous of spirit, as a letter to your
grandchildren that tells them what higher values
were most important to you during the long arc
of your life. Or what simple acts of kindness made
a difference in the life of someone struggling to
get through the day, the week, or the year, i.e.
the seismic consequences of your small acts of
kindness.
Publicity Contact:
Kelli Daniel
kelli.daniel@dartfrogg.com
609.439.8222
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