As an expert in personal property, my days are filled with visiting estates, consulting with my clients, and ascertaining what has value versus what does not. I help boomer children make sound decisions after mom and dad have passed on, and work closely with seniors, helping them make a plan for their heirlooms and understanding their worth.
My world revolves around many beautiful things, what they may be worth, and then sadly watch people fight over them after a loved one dies. Having met thousands of individuals in my career, I can safely say I have learned from each and every one of them. Here’s what I have learned:
1. We exit this world the way we enter it — owning nothing but a beautiful spirit that houses love and memories earned over a lifetime. You can’t take anything with you, so why fight over “things?”
2. “Things do bring instant gratification, but not long-lasting happiness. So we keep buying more things to keep feeling good. Too many of us fill our lives with “things” to ease unresolved pain and issues. As we continue to go into debt and buy ourselves the latest electronic gadget, we are still left unfulfilled and discontented. We buy to feel good, we buy because we deserve it, we buy because we are depressed. But in the long run, it ends up in the hands of family, or a professional such as myself, to sell it.
Next week, I’ll share two more valuable lessons I’ve learned as an expert in “things.” I hope these lessons today, and the two next week, will alter your plans to gain more and give more “things” during the upcoming holiday season. Please come back for the other two positive lessons!
© 2011 Julie Hall