This is an exercise that is found in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and I think it is very revealing.
Imagine that you are attending a funeral. You see all the familiar faces and upon seeing yourself lying in the casket, realize it is your funeral. You then look at the program for your own funeral and see that there are to be 4 groups of speakers:
1. Your family, immediate and extended.
2. Your friends
3. Your co-workers
4. Your church or community organization
Now, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What would each of these speakers say about your life?
2. What do you want to resonate about you?
3. How would you like them to describe your character?
4. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?
3. How would you like them to describe your character?
4. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?
Make comments on your thoughts. What do you think about this exercise? What did you find out about yourselves?
11 comments:
For me, I think that they'd all say similar things, which I'd take as a compliment--I'm always true to myself no matter what the setting.
Well, since I'm a complete fake, they would all say I'm perfect and awesome b/c they don't know any of the bad things about me...
Seriously, though, I think that after reading this I need to be as kind, thoughtful and good natured towards my spouse and children the way I am towards complete strangers.
Why is it that sometimes we treat the people we love the most the worst?
I hope when I die, that i don't see myself in a coffin, that would freak me out!
I know Katie. When I first read the 7 Habits, I thought the same thing!
Ben, How come Katie's the only one that gets responses from you?!
:)
J/k
I know, I'm not very good at making comments. I will do better.
By the way Heidi, now I know why you treat me so poorly - It's because you love me the most.
Ha Ha Ha!
Why didn't you answer the question, Ben? Heidi was mentioning that since your at a funeral people are of course only going to say the good things. I liked the question ,"What difference would you like to have made in their lives?" It makes me realize how we all get so caught up in our own lives and it's easy to not worry about our extended family. I think that I want to try to keep in touch better and be more a part of my family members that I don't see often. That's one of the reasons I like all these blogs.
I just got done reading the comments posted on "dream job" and have to agree, families do keep us honest. I don't think I have attended a single family function,(my funeral probably won't be any different) where someone (usually Marla) doesn't mention that when I was 6 yo I wrote "I hate dad" with a magic marker" in Colette's bedroom where I had been sent into exile as punishment. Just to make the record straight. I don't really, and never have hated dad. Oh and by the way It was Steven(Denney)who started it and not me! ha!ha!
Laura, my favorite story of you and Steve was the time you got in a food fight in the car. Your mom sent you to Kirk's and you guys fought about the way he was driving. By the time you got home, the food was all over the car, including the milkshakes. HILARIOUS!!
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