A few months ago I wrote one of the most difficult speeches of my life. How would I eulogize my younger brother Barry who died suddenly at age 60?
Barry had a huge appetite for life. Even as a child, he kept people around him laughing--but not at the expense of others. Popping cigarettes in our young mouths is the just the kind of zany thing Barry would do every day.
Since Barry left no wife or children, I took on the task of informing the people in his life about his death. As I made those phone calls, I often the same words. "He was a great friend." "He always had a smile and a kind word." "He supported me." Even the post office clerk said that she ran into Barry at the grocery store just a week before he died, and he asked about her sick mother.
In the months following Barry's death, I sometimes wondered, "What will people say at my funeral?"
And so I pose a question to you. What would you like people to say at YOUR funeral?
What kind of a question is this to ask on December 31st?
So why am I sending this sobering question to you just as you're getting ready to put on your dancing shoes and welcome 2020??
As Stephen Covey says, "Begin with the end in mind." The vision of your legacy can inform your personal and professional and financial goals for the new year. These goals can be translated into your day-to-day actions. Wishing you a year filled with the joy of meaningful work--making a positive difference in the lives of others. This is woven into my brother Barry's legacy.
My best,
Dr. Vicki
© 2019. Vicki Rackner MD. All rights reserved. You may reproduce this post with the following by-line:
Vicki Rackner MD is an author, speaker and consultant who offers a bridge between the world of medicine and the world of business. She helps businesses acquire physician clients, and she helps physicians thrive. Contact her at (425) 451-3777.Vicki Rackner MD is an author, speaker and consultant who offers a bridge between the world of medicine and the world of business. She helps businesses acquire physician clients,and she helps physicians thrive. Contact her at (425) 451-3777.