McIntyre Elder Law » Literally Building Your Legacy

(The Plan for Peace and Protection Challenge. The Triple P Challenge for short.)

My wife and I recently bought a building in a local small town. The downstairs has 4 commercial tenants and the upstairs has a wide open space of 5000 sq. ft. I am excited! We are planning to develop apartments in that space and also upgrade the exterior of the building with new awnings, doors and a sign branding the building. What does this have to do with our estate plan? EVERYTHING!!! I am constantly creating. I love it. A book is a work of art but so is this building. It is our canvas. I want it to reflect my vision. I want it to be an amazing, attractive place to shop and live. Really, I just want to complete and realize my vision. After this building is completed I’ll move on to something else; another project to complete. I am constantly building my family’s legacy. We all are in one way or another. Either we get busy creating or we stay stagnant. Perhaps your creation is saving for your IRA or 401k. Maybe you are protecting your nest egg already in retirement. Or… are you? Have you taken the time to pause? Taken the time to reflect?

We are all so busy in our everyday lives that sometimes the toughest thing to do and thing we often forget or put off is to stop and smell the roses… to stop and reflect. I often work with a business coach. During one of our meetings my coach asked me to go back and document all the creative things I have done in my career. Books written, buildings remodeled, murals commissioned/painted, websites designed, articles written, videos shot and edited and seminars performed… This is a fraction of those things and it makes my belly full, so to speak, to think about those things and reflect on them. But… then I start thinking about the important creations and I feel ashamed for rebelling in the glory of those other earthly, superficial creations. What about my great marriage, my beautiful wife, my 6 amazing and healthy children, my great friendships, my parents, and my health? Those are the most important. All these relationships I have had to work hard to create. There have been great times and really tough times, mostly of my own making. Maybe we can all relate to that. I am truly proud of my creations but mostly of my relationships and family. To that end I want to protect them. I want to shelter them and take care of them. How do I do that if I never stop and reflect? How do I know how to take care of my family and of my possessions if I don’t pause and smell those roses, take inventory and really put some thought into planning.

What if I’m not here anymore?

What if I die? What if I am sick, incapacitated? Have I planned to take care of my family? Have I taken care of those I love the most? Most of us say no to this. Most of us are too busy. I was too busy for years helping everyone else plan and saving them millions of dollars to set up my own protection plan until my wife sat me down and had a frank discussion.

“Greg, the cobbler has no shoes. You have got to put some time and resources towards creating our plan and protecting our family.” Stef said.

…and she was right! So we did. We sat down and created our plan. It was a great experience. We talked about our lives, past, present and future. We talked about our goals and plan. Then we sat down and signed our plan.

How many of you have done this? How many of you have taken the time to talk to your family about your lives, your stuff, your plans? No plan is not a plan. The reason I use a business coach is because I know that some time spent reflecting and planning can lay plans for exponential growth. Stepping back from the grind and letting the dust settle while I work with a professional on my plan.

The Plan for Peace and Protection Challenge. The Triple P Challenge for short.

Today I am issuing a challenge. I am issuing a challenge to you right now. STOP, pause and take inventory. Talk to your loved ones about your plans. Ask them about their plans. Then call our office to sit down with a professional to get your plan in motion, your affairs in order and protect all that hard work. Protect those most precious to you and walk away with the peace that comes from having stopped, smelled the roses and admired them for awhile. Hang out there while a professional at McIntyre Elder Law guides you in creating a customized estate plan just for you. You deserve it. Your family deserves it. Call us today at 704-749-9244 to setup your FREE consultation with one of our planning attorneys or schedule yourself online at: mcelderlaw.com/bookfreeconsult.

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