Express Who You Are

In this episode of "Living With The Vagabond," attorney Robert Neumann discusses the importance of estate planning beyond money and property. He emphasizes the need to pass down stories, values, and life lessons to future generations. Neumann suggests having five important conversations with family members, including sharing life stories, discussing final wishes, exploring family history, documenting significant heirlooms, and identifying core values. He advises starting small and gradually expanding these conversations. Neumann also encourages seeking professional help to create an estate plan that reflects one's values and journey. Hey there, and welcome back to Living With The Vagabond, I'm attorney Robert Neumann. In our last episode, we discussed passing down your legacy. Continuing with this theme, today we're talking about navigating life with purpose, making meaningful choices, and leaving behind something greater than just a material wealth. We're going to be talking about estate planning, but not in the way that you might think. Yeah, we're going to talk about money and property, but what about the wisdom, the values, and life lessons that you want to pass down? Your estate planning should be a reflection of who you are, not just what you own. So in this episode, we'll cover five important conversations to have with your family to make sure your legacy is about more than just numbers on a paper. Let's get started. Most of us spend our time living, working hard, saving money, and accumulating assets. But when we think about the legacy we want to leave behind, it's more than just money that makes the biggest impact. It's the stories, the values, the life lessons that truly shape future generations. But here's the thing, if we don't share these stories, they can get lost. That's why estate planning is the perfect reason to bring your family together, to have these conversations, and ensure that what matters most is not left unsaid. If your family's spread out, well, that's okay. In this day and age, it's very rare that you have families all in the same area. A family meeting doesn't have to be in person. Particularly after COVID, we realized the power and the availability of video meetings. So how can a video call? Send a recorded message or write a letter. However you do it, the key is to start the conversation. So here are five things about how you should start talking about it. First, your life story. Have you ever thought about recording your own life story? Trust me, your family would love to hear it. Your biggest adventures, your toughest challenges, your proudest moments, how your family came to be, how your ancestors met, how you met, your spouse, your significant other. When did you decide to have children? If you have children. If you're an immigrant, how did you get to this country? Talk about where you came from so that heritage and that culture is not passed. A great way to do this is to have a conversation with your loved ones. Let them ask questions about your childhood, your career, your life lessons you've learned. And you do the same with your ancestors. Ask them about their career. Ask them about their childhood. Ask them about the lessons they learned. But record these moments. They will be treasured for generations to come. And they will give your family something far more valuable than just money. It will give them a sense of identity. Number two, your final wishes and intentions. Yeah, of course estate planning involves some big decisions. Who will manage your finances or medical care if you become able to? Who will receive your assets? These topics aren't always easy to talk about. But having a discussion will help avoid confusion and any conflict later on. Explain why you've made certain choices in your will or your trust. When your family understands your reasoning, it can help bring clarity and peace of mind for everyone involved. Because remember, at that time, you're either going to be incapacitated and not able to explain anything or you're going to be gone and you won't be able to explain anything at all. So try and let's do it now. Number three, your family tree and heritage. We've discussed this a little bit, but most families have fascinating stories that have gotten lost over time. Take a moment to share your family history, where your ancestors came from, important traditions and stories about relatives who helped shape your journey and helped to get you where you are today. Create a written or digital family tree can be a beautiful gift for future generations. It's a way to ensure that your family's identity and history live on. Number four, significant heirlooms and their stories. Most of us have certain possessions that we hold deep sentimental value to. Maybe an old watch, a piece of jewelry, a handwritten letter or ticket stub of the first game that you went to with your parents or the first game you took your daughters to and have them end up being Yankees fans instead of a Mets fan like you are, but I digress. What makes these important items special isn't their monetary worth, it's their story. It's the story behind them. It's the memories that they turn up when they look at them. Take time to explain why certain things are meaningful and who you want to receive them. Consider recording videos and writing letters to tell stories behind these heirlooms so future generations can understand their significance. And five, your core values. Your estate plan can always be a way to pass on your values. If education, as we talked about last time, if education is important to you, you can create an educational trust for your grandchildren. If you believe in giving back, you can establish a charitable fund. Your money should support the things that matter to you most, not just now but for future generations to come. And the best part, you can tailor your estate plan to reflect your values, ensuring that your legacy is more than just wealth, it's about impact, it's about making a difference. All right, now that we've gone through those five key conversations, where do you start? Here's my advice, typically is start small. Choose one of these topics and bring it up at your next family gathering or the family call. Ask questions, share stories, and remember, we listen but we don't judge. And if you're thinking, I don't even know where to begin with an estate plan, that's okay. The important thing is to start the conversation and when you're ready, reach out to an estate plan professional to help you with these, put these ideas into action. Your estate plan should be more than just a legal document. After all, any machine can put together words on a paper. The actual document should reflect your life. It should be a reflection of you and who you are, your values and your journey. And trust me, believe me when I tell you this, your family will be grateful that you took the time to share it with them. So what's the next step? Have one meaningful conversation this week. Whether it's about your life story, your wishes, or an heirloom with a great back story, it doesn't matter. Just start sharing. And of course, if you're ready to take this further and have your estate plan express who you really are, well, you can call us at 301-892-2713. 301-892-2713. You can also reach us at rpnlaw.net. That's www.rpnlaw.net. Now, if you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, share, and leave a review. And if you have any stories or questions about estate planning, we'd love to hear from you. Thanks for tuning in again to Living With Your Bags Packed. I'm Robert Newman, and I'll see you next time. Until then, remember that life is precarious. You never know what tomorrow may bring. So let us help you get some peace of mind. Take care and be well.