Catholic Estate Planning
Memento Mori
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What do you value?

  2 min read

As mentioned in the intro, (the thought of) death brings clarity. And you can use that clarity to identify your own cardinal directions.

We’re going to take a moment to imagine your own death and funeral. The point isn’t to get all sentimental or give you a case of the weepies, but rather to put you in the right state of mind to think about what’s important to you.

Say a brief prayer, take a breath, and then answer the following questions:

  • Right before death:
    • Where are you?
      • Home / hospital / hospice?
    • Who’s there? And who’s not there?
    • What are those people saying to you?
    • If you could do just three more things, what would they be?
      • Skydiving / Visiting Prague / Reconciling with someone
    • What regrets do you have? Do those regrets involve specific people? Do you have any unresolved arguments or affairs?
    • Where is God present?
  • At your funeral:
    • Where is it?
      • Your local church? Your hometown?
    • Who’s there? And who’s not there?
    • What are those people saying about you? What stories are making them shake with laughter? Which ones are making them shake their heads? And what things are people too afraid to say?
    • Do they have any regrets? Do you have regrets?
    • What do you wish you could say to those present? What do they wish they could say to you?
    • Where is God present?

Coming out of your imagination, take a second to resettle yourself1.

Then, think more deeply about your cardinal directions. What are your three values? And were there any other themes that emerged?

If you find yourself focused on a value that feels shallow, take a bit more time to consider what it speaks to more broadly. One of us, for example, values rock climbing much more than he thought. Yes, it definitely is about climbing stuff. But it’s also speaking to the values of fitness, focus, and friendship.

Write these down and keep them in mind throughout the rest of this course, as they’ll be the compass guiding you and a touchpoint for your decisions throughout.


  1. Or, in the ever prescient words of Eminem, “Snap back to reality. Oh, there goes gravity. But the beat goes on, buh duh dum duh dum.” ↩︎