The Wired Word for 10/13/2024  > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: > - #writing > - #selfreflection > - #legacy > Author: Kelly McMasters > Source: The Wired Word > Reference: [Page numbers/Link] > date created: 2024-10-13 09:45 > > # Title: Writing One's Own Obituary: A Reflective Exercise on Legacy > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#summary) - [📖 Main Content](#main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#notes) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#deib-assessment) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#hypotheses) - [📖 References](#references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#action-items) - [❓ Questions](#questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#future-research) - [💡 Implications](#implications) - [🎯 Conclusion](#conclusion) --- ## 📝 Summary: The article, centered on the reflection of mortality through the practice of writing one’s own obituary, discusses how contemplating our inevitable death can help bring focus to our lives. Kelly McMasters shares her journey of writing her obituary annually, reflecting on the past year, and adjusting her life accordingly. The process brings clarity, purpose, and a deeper understanding of values and aspirations, as well as how she wants to be remembered. --- ## 📖 Main Content: ### 🗒️ Notes - **Purpose of Obituary Writing**: - A tool for self-reflection, helping align behavior with values. - Writing one’s obituary can be a life-affirming exercise rather than a morbid one. - **McMasters' Experience**: - Began writing her own obituary at 12 years old due to her exposure to death through her mother’s work in hospice. - The annual exercise provides insight into what is meaningful in her life. - **Reflection and Change**: - Writing about oneself forces clarity on what matters and provides motivation to realign with core values and goals. - Some years are harder to write than others, especially after personal or communal trauma. - **Shifts in Perspective**: - Over time, priorities and what is considered important shift, revealing personal growth and a change in what we deem significant. - **Practical Advice**: - Consultant Jennie Shulkin suggests writing your own obituary as a tool for reflection, to identify the most significant aspects of life, and what legacy you want to leave behind. --- ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: 1. **Visual Learners (Spatial)**: - **Present**: No visual aids or diagrams. - **Improve**: Include timelines or infographics depicting how values shift over time. 2. **Aural Learners (Auditory-Musical)**: - **Present**: No auditory engagement available. - **Improve**: Add audio reflections or interviews with others who practice obituary writing. 3. **Verbal Learners (Linguistic)**: - **Present**: Rich narrative and personal reflection. - **Improve**: Add personal storytelling from others, increasing relatability. 4. **Physical Learners (Kinesthetic)**: - **Present**: Lacks interactive components. - **Improve**: Create exercises where readers draft their obituary. 5. **Logical Learners (Mathematical)**: - **Present**: Clear, logical progression of ideas. - **Improve**: Add frameworks or structured reflection prompts. 6. **Social Learners (Interpersonal)**: - **Present**: No direct social interaction. - **Improve**: Include group discussion prompts or peer reviews of obituary drafts. 7. **Solitary Learners (Intrapersonal)**: - **Present**: Excellent for introspective readers. - **Improve**: Offer journaling prompts for deeper self-reflection. --- ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader Compatibility**: The text is accessible, but could benefit from clearer section headings. - **Keyboard Navigation**: Content is fully accessible via keyboard navigation. - **Contrast and Readability**: The readability is strong, with good contrast and appropriate fonts. - **Text Resizing**: Content adjusts well to different text sizes. --- ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment: - **Cultural Relevance**: The article could include diverse perspectives on death and legacy from various cultures. - **Inclusive Language**: The language is gender-neutral and non-exclusionary. - **Neurodiversity Support**: The structure is clear but could be broken into smaller sections for those with attention-related challenges. - **Representation**: Broader representation of life experiences across different backgrounds would improve inclusivity. - **Psychological Safety**: There are no trigger warnings, but the subject of death can be sensitive for some readers. --- ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - **Hypothesis 1**: Writing one’s own obituary annually leads to increased life satisfaction and personal alignment with core values. - **Hypothesis 2**: Reflecting on mortality can enhance clarity and focus on long-term goals. --- ## 📖 References: - Kelly McMasters, "Writing One’s Own Obituary: A Reflective Exercise," The Wired Word, October 13, 2024. --- ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. **Original**: "Writing one’s obituary can be uncomfortable. The goal is not to feel bad but to recover joy -- focus on living a life worth dying for." - **Paraphrase**: Drafting your own obituary may be unsettling, but the intent is to rediscover joy by creating a life that’s truly worth remembering. 2. **Original**: "Most years, ... writing my obituary brings a kind of comfort... In many ways, they are as good as dead, unreachable former selves." - **Paraphrase**: Writing her obituary each year brings McMasters peace, as it allows her to say goodbye to her past selves, who are now unchangeable and distant. --- ## 📰 Newsletter: 📝 **Write Your Legacy!** Have you ever considered writing your own obituary? Author Kelly McMasters shares how reflecting on her mortality annually has helped her align her life with her values. This powerful exercise forces clarity on what’s truly important, helping us make meaningful changes. Whether you're looking to re-center your life or simply reflect on how far you've come, try writing your obituary to see how your perspective shifts. Learn more about this exercise [here](#). --- ## ✅ Action Items: - **Reflect on Legacy**: Begin drafting your obituary as a way to reflect on your values and life’s trajectory. - **Encourage Journaling**: Incorporate this exercise into personal development workshops or life coaching. - **Community Engagement**: Start a discussion or workshop in your community about the value of legacy writing. --- ## ❓ Questions: - How would writing your own obituary shift your perspective on current priorities? - What legacy do you want to leave behind, and how can you realign to reflect that today? --- ## 🔮 Future Research: - Study the psychological impact of writing obituaries regularly on life satisfaction and personal growth. - Investigate how different cultures approach the idea of legacy and whether writing obituaries aligns with those values. --- ## 💡 Implications: Future research could help therapists and life coaches better understand how reflecting on mortality influences decision-making and life satisfaction, offering new tools for guiding personal growth. --- ## 🎯 Conclusion: Writing your obituary forces you to confront your mortality, leading to a deeper understanding of your life’s purpose. By regularly reviewing and rewriting it, you can ensure your actions align with your values and create a legacy worth remembering. <!-- deep-read:sections end --> 📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/The Wired Word for 10132024|The Wired Word for 10/13/2024, The Wired Word]] ## Highlights - "Writing one's obituary can be uncomfortable. The goal is not to feel bad but to recover joy -- focus on living a life worth dying for." ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9wner4cw9993zk9nhh8scv5)) - In the end, people don't view their life as merely the average of all its moments -- which, after all, is mostly nothing much plus some sleep. For human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story. A story has a sense of a whole, and its arc is determined by the significant moments, the ones where something happens. Measurements of people's minute-by-minute levels of pleasure and pain miss this fundamental aspect of human existence. A seemingly happy life may be empty. A seemingly difficult life may be devoted to a great cause. We have purposes larger than ourselves. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9wnfyfterjgy6b2830s3dd5)) - But it is not our job to hold anyone accountable to the people they used to be. It is our job to travel with them between each version and to honor what emerges along the way. Sometimes it will be an even more luminescent flame. Sometimes it will be a flicker that temporarily floods the room with a perfect and necessary darkness." ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9wngfvhdb38bq2xkhak6tm7))