In our house, Mom is pretty darn important. With four boys, she is not only the princess or the queen, she brings much needed empathy, calmness, gentleness, and warmth into our house.
Three years ago, I sold my business to transition from being a workoholic to spend more time with my family. In many respects, I became Mr. Mom. One of the many things that came from that transition was the realization that the work of a mom is the hardest work I have ever done. It wasn't physically hard but it was hard because it's the most unselfish work you can do. I used to mock moms who said to me I could not shower all day. But then when I spent full days at home with the kids I realized how you can't just shower when you want or go for a coffee when you want or pop out to run a few errands.
For these reasons and so many more, I wish every mom (especially Liz) a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend. It's this time of year that many people try to find the perfect gift for mom's everywhere.
Yesterday, Jen from Shaw TV came by to interview me on my Legacy Organizer. You will be able to
see the interview at the SHAW TV Website starting at 5pm today. I will post the video later in the
video section of my personal website. It's extra special because two of my boys are stars in the video.
Here's a transcript of the interview:
Mother's day is fast approaching and many people are looking for the perfect gift for mother's day. Today we are joined by financial expert Jim Yih and two of his Kids Connor and Jason to talk about giving the gift of a legacy.
Q: What do you mean by a gift of legacy?
Legacy is such a powerful word because it is something that lasts beyond your lifetime. Often the word legacy reminds us of famous people like Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, or Mother Theresa. I happen to think everyone has a legacy. You don't have to be rich or famous to have a legacy. You have a legacy, I have a legacy, everyone watching has a legacy.
My hope is that people take the time to preserve their legacies and share their legacies by simply preserving and diarizing the facts, stories, memories and experiences.
Q: How do you suggest people do that?
There are so many ways to preserve legacies. One practical, financial approach is to get your estate affairs organized by getting a will, Power of attorney and Personal directives. Too many people leave messes and disorganized estates for their loved ones to deal with. For some people their legacy is the mess they left behind.
Another way to preserve legacies is through things like scrapbooking, creating picture books, personal blogging, journaling, self-publishing a book, or genealogy. Technology has made it easier to preserve legacies. It's just finding the time. Making this a priority can be one of the best gifts you can give to the people you love, especially the moms in our life.
Q: Now you've created a product the helps people preserve legacies, can you tell us about it?
My Legacy Organizer is simply a tool that helps preserve stories, memories and cute facts about people and their lives. The program is simply a series of questions organized by categories: personal data, interested, financial info, relationships, learning, work and life.
Some of the questions are simple and easy like talking about your favorite things and habits and hobbies. Other sections are really thought provoking and designed to get you to think about values, regrets, successes, turning points, etc.
Q: You are a financial expert. What got you to develop this program?
One of the areas I help people is in estate planning and having had many clients pass away, I realized that people are not really remembered for the money they have or the estate they pass on. It's the stories and the experiences that we remember.
This all became personal when my mother passed away. She passed away before the birth of my four boys and I was very sad about this because my mother was very important in my life. I believe I am who I am largely because of the influence of my mother and It's still sad to me that my boys will never meet their Grandma Yih personally.
That being said, I have done what I can to preserve her legacy with pictures, possessions and stories. What I realized in my endeavors is that much of her legacy dies with her because there are people in pictures I don't know. There are many stories I cannot complete or tell. That's why I created the program. How many people's legacies die with them when it does not have to be that way. Preserving these memories, facts and experiences is the most precious priceless gift we can give to the people we love.
I believe it is my responsibility to diarize and preserve my legacy for my kids and my wife and eventually their kids. I want to be an influence on their lives and give them something they can hold onto for as long as they live.
Q: What is the final message you would like to leave out viewers?
To remember that every day of your life you are creating your legacy with the things you do, the choices you make and the people you touch. Take time in your lives to remember moments in your day that make you smile or cry. Preserving these moments may be the best gift you give to others but also it's a great gift to yourself. We all have a legacy!
Other relevant Articles and Links
Learn more about My Legacy Organizer by JimGo to the Website www.MyLegacyOrganizer.comA previous interview on Legacies with CTVBalanced Junkie - A Mother's Day ConfessionFinancial Highway - 10 Unique and Frugal Mother's Day Gift IdeasFinancial highway - A Mother's day gift that keeps on giving