Your Eulogy
What would people say about you at your funeral? That’s a question Arthur C. Brooks often proposes while communicating ways to live a happier life. Arthur believes that many of us are so intensely focused on writing a strong resume, that we forget to write a strong eulogy. And yes, he actually recommends writing your own eulogy—the exact words that you’d want spoken about you when you die. This could include things such as: “insanely generous, never spoke down to anyone, always had a smile on their face, quick to laugh, always spoke the truth, best boss I ever worked for, made everyone around them feel important, the most loving and supportive parent imaginable,” etc.
The beauty of this exercise is that, by writing down how you’d want to be remembered when you die, you’ve essentially written yourself a roadmap to follow while you live. All you have to do is live up to the standards you just set for yourself—you live up to your eulogy.
I have yet to do this exercise myself, but it sounds like a perfect way to begin 2025 and I plan on completing it in the next week or two. Would you be interested in joining me? The more the merrier!
"Contemplating your mortality might sound morbid, but it's actually a key to happiness."
-Arthur C. Brooks
