The True Will to Live

The Department for Which All the Others Exist

The Ultimate Plan for Life – Part 1

Welcome to the eighth and final family plan department in your home.
This is in no way the least of the departments. In fact, it might be the most important. Talk about saving the best to last. It’s the one you really live for. Allow me to explain why this department is the one to live for.

Have you ever heard a doctor say to a family, “I have no idea why your loved one is still alive,” as they fight for life on a ventilator? The doctor will in many cases use a phrase called “the will to live.” Your loved one hasn’t lost their “will to live” or your loved one’s will to live is strong. This phrase says there’s no logical reason why, other than they’re defying what’s natural. In other words the will to live is what produces uncommon, unexpected results.

In the same way a person has a will to live, the legacy department is what defines a person’s or a family’s will to live. What are you working towards that gives you a reason to live? What brings life to your existence? The legacy department gives you a way to focus on what the culmination of your life will one day be.

“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,
they labor hard all summer [in the present], gathering food for the winter [the day that’s coming].”  – bible.com/bible/116/PRO.6.6-8.NLT

The Thought or Concept:
The original name for this department was “Legal/Political” department.
We first called the department, the legal/political department because of its content makeup. It’s primary focus was on such items as:

• What are your legal needs, taxes, rights, and voting goals?
• As we have recently gone through elections to select the president of the United States, having a plan for voting and how we handle the outcome is vital. What are you saying to your children?
• What do you desire your children to take away?
• Are you paying the right taxes?
• Do you have the best deductions?
• Are you involved in the voting process for more than just the big elections?

We’ve decided not just to accept life the way it is, we have a plan to be involved in our society. Having a plan is the key to having the life you designed. Once we really dug into this department it changed shapes. We realized that this department shouldn’t use secular business as a model, but the church. Therefore, we re-branded it as the “legacy department.”

The Practice:
Simply by observing the name of this department, you can conclude that it’s one that has unfinished business. Most of what this department covers looks toward the future. In order to have the future you desire, you must be willing to plan today. You must be willing to give thought and ideas to what you wish your life will unfold for the benefit of those in your world. Over the next several weeks we will discuss a few ideas that will aid you in developing your own legacy department for your home. This section will cover such topics as:

• Taxes
  Most of us don’t understand that when we pay taxes, we are directly impacting the world around us. It’s our tax dollars that provide a better way of life not just for self, but for others. See your taxes as a large portion of the legacy you’re leaving to the world around you. When you see it this way, you’ll learn to appreciate what happens with it and will fight to ensure its best use. In this section we will discuss a few methods to help improve the process of filing your taxes for you and your tax preparer.
• Voting
  Voting is one of the best ways to leave a legacy. Or should I say participating in the process of democracy. I get it, most of us feel we have no say in this whatsoever and it’s not important. Well, because that is normal thinking and if you don’t want the normal results we’ve been having in this area, then the key is to think thoughts that are contrary to the norm so that your actions follow suit. In this section, we will share what every person can do and what we do to be active and excited to be a part of the democratic process.
• Family Transitions to Life After Death
  Because we are people of faith, we believe that once a person no longer lives on earth, they have the opportunity to live with Jesus in Heaven. Regardless, people in your world will transition and one day so will you. However, the problem with such a transition is that it impacts the folks who continue to live on Earth. With this transition an opportunity is presented to those who remain on this side of Heaven. This is what we will be discussing in this section of the legacy department and how you should respond to such an opportunity.
• Investing Beyond One’s Own Existence
  Investing is such a non-emotional term. It almost sounds a little selfish. This section will cover how one can provide for the ones they love from beyond the grave. Yeah, that sounds better. If you love someone wouldn’t you want them to know that you have them even if you were to die? That’s the way I think because, frankly, I’m just not normal. In this section we discuss the ideas for investing, not for oneself, but for the ones you love that will be a victim of your transition to life after death.
• Leaving An Inheritance
  My father-in-law often speaks of leaving an inheritance. It gives him the motivation to live. An inheritance does a couple of things: it leaves something for someone else and it gives you a reason to live and progress as long as you live. In this section we discuss what it means to leave more than just insurance money, but an inheritance.

Can you now see why we rebranded this department from legal/political to legacy? When you think beyond yourself you’re truly experiencing what it means to live.

Today is Friday!
At first, I wasn’t looking forward to writing on this department, but now that I can see it clearly for what it is, it’s the department for which all the others exist. It’s the main reason you view your life as your business.

Until next Friday, share this introduction with a friend. Thanks always for visiting Kerry A. Clark & Co.

The Family Plan Binder is available now!

Our team has worked very hard putting it together. We designed it to help you and your family move the needle forward in making your life your business. Find out more about the Family plan here.