Every season of life is for living fully…right to the very last breath. Being engaged with purpose, joy, and creativity is a great way to ensure those final years are fun and meaningful.
The Golden Seeds Journey is a process to approach your remaining time through the act of consciously gathering up the goodness of your life and that of your ancestors into an educational and inspiring consumable bundle that contains a book, and/or a movie, your mementos and historical keepsakes. It’s a process that creates a plan that puts into place your wishes for the last chapter.
When you take your final breath and move along to your next reality, your loved ones will be blessed by all that your life has meant, and the wisdom and goodness of you and your ancestors.
Guided by experienced experts you’ll be coached through each activity of this final chapter, living fully each moment and positioning yourself for a “fitting death” — as you define it.
For those who avoid the idea that they will eventually die, when it does begin to happen it can be scary, confusing, and upsetting for you and for your family members. If the family story hasn’t been passed on in a consumable way like in a book, there can also be added anger, disappointment, and more grief.
For those who grasp that their own future death can be a nurturing and less stressful time for them and their families, there are opportunities to put all of one’s affairs in order, to heal relationships, resolve regrets, and to create beautiful, loving moments with those we care about.
With conscious acceptance of one’s own eventual transition, there is the chance to celebrate now our own lives, to remember our ancestors and honour them, and to gather The Golden Seeds of our lives — the wisdom, values, and joyous moments — so as to inspire and bless our great grandchildren who aren’t even born yet.
It’s just like how flowers and trees cast their pollen and seeds to the wind with the faith that new life will somehow take root.
Our process is to support you in assessing your own last season’s needs and wishes. Each person’s journey is unique and it’s unlikely your family members have any idea what you would imagine for your last chapter.
We’ll take you through some simple questions that can help set your course and bring comfort and inspiration. They can also be challenging or bring up feelings. That’s okay. It’s normal.
We’ll listen and strategize around how to have what might seem like difficult but healing conversations with loved ones. Think of yourself as the leader in this process of being real about the reality that each of us will depart someday. You’re strengthening your loved ones to be ready for such eventuality. If given the chance, they will likely enjoy this journey with you!
You don’t have to do any of this alone. If your goal is to include your loved ones as much as possible in your plans, we’d love to help you with that. If it’s just you, we can guide you in building a support team around you so you’ve got folks to lean on.
In the sections below you’ll see various activities described that can be completed in any order or all at the same time. During your first free consultation we’ll help you decide your unique way of living out your Golden Seeds Journey.
Or we can bring to your group our experiential presentation The Golden Seeds Workshop.
Activity 1
Everyone of us dies eventually. Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, the human body eventually shuts down. Accepting this in advance gives you the ability to put into place a plan that will keep you comfortable throughout your transition and at the same time care for and nurture your loved ones.
If dying at home is a priority, an End of Life Plan is essential to control how things unfold. Being proactive with this helps you and your family come to terms with the inevitable and it can bring them greater strength and reassurance that they will be alright after you’re gone. You can even put into place resources to support them through grief.
It’s not surprising that if we can’t communicate and medical providers ask our loved ones what life-prolonging treatments we would want, they don’t know. In the absence of clear wishes outlined by you and a well-informed representative, the medical providers have no choice but to take active steps to keep you alive as long as possible, no matter the cost or impacts on your quality of life.
Questions to consider
Regarding CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), defibrillators, intubation (breathing tubes and respirators) my wishes are:
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
If I’m unable to speak for myself my representative(s) for my medical matters is/are:
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
If I were to get very sick, I would be most concerned about:
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
I’d like to spend my last days in hospital or in a hospice facility or at home (pick one or describe your perfect scenario).
What would you like done with your possessions when you’re gone?
Activity 2
Whether you’re moving to a smaller home or just decluttering your current home, imagine how relieved you’ll feel knowing you’ve given away to charity what others can still use, trashed what’s not useful anymore, and safeguarded your old family photos, mementos, and sentimental keepsakes.
Likely you already have heard from certain loved ones that they don’t want to inherit your house full of stuff. Not only don’t they have space for all your stuff in their own homes but it’s also natural that they might be grieving after you’re gone and not in their best form. Worse, you don’t want precious things disappearing when you’re not there to keep them safe. The kind, loving thing to do is to have it all sorted out in advance.
Questions to consider
The people I can count on to help me with downsizing, sorting, and preserving family history are
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
What prevents me from decluttering and downsizing is
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
Family members with different opinions about my stuff say:
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
The way I will feel when it’s all handled is
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
I’d like to spend my last days in hospital or in a hospice facility or at home (pick one or describe your perfect scenario).
What would you like done with your possessions when you’re gone?
Activity 3
There is nothing finer than being known as the author of a family book that is cherished by your descendants … forever.
Enjoy the cathartic process of telling your life story and family history without having to do any writing. Cory Bretz has interviewed hundreds of people, helping them feel safe so they can easily remember their own lives and stories. With simple questionnaires and memory zingers you’ll also be able speak for your ancestors and tell their stories too. Using modern technology these memories can become the flowing prose in a beautiful family history book.
With Barbie Braude’s years of experience working with old photo collections and graphic design your book or movie will be a beautiful keepsake that inspires generations forever. These books are perfect for bedtime stories with young great grandchildren. A family book is a perfect way to pass on powerful family values, traditions, and philosophies.
Questions to consider
I would like to leave my great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews a family book or movie but the thing that holds me back is
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
I’ve got lots of stories from my own life, my spouse’s life, and our parents. The idea of sharing those stories makes me feel
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
I may be one of the few remaining elders in my family who knows the stories of the ancestors who came before. The way I feel about that is
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
I feel the value of educational, entertaining, inspiring bedtime story books for small children is
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
The important values and philosophies I want to pass on are
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….
The ancestors whom I’d like to describe to my descendants are
………………………..………………………..………………………..………………………..…………………………………….