Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, November 10, 2018

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 10, 2018 

Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


USE ESTATE PLANNING 
TO ENRICH YOUR 
FAMILY WITH MORE 
THAN JUST MATERIAL 
WEALTH

In the weeks before her death from ovarian cancer, 
author Amy Krouse Rosenthal gave her husband 
Jason one of the most treasured gifts a person could 
receive.

 She penned the touching essay “You May Want 
to Marry My Husband” in the New York Times as a 
final love letter to him. The essay took the form of a 
heart-wrenching yet-humorous dating profile that 
encouraged him to begin dating again once she was 
gone. In her opening description of Jason, she writes: 
“He is an easy man to fall in love with. I did it in one 
day.”

 What followed was an intimate list of attributes 
and anecdotes, highlighting what she loved most 
about Jason. It reads like a love story, encompassing 
26 years of marriage, three grown children, 
and a bond that will last forever. She finished 
the essay on Valentine’s Day, concluding with: 
“The most genuine, non-vase-oriented gift I can 
hope for is that the right person reads this, finds Jason, 
and another love story begins.”

 Just 10 days after the essay was published in March 
2017, Amy died at age 51.

 Amy’s essay immediately went viral, and Jason 
received countess letters from women across the 
globe. Although he has yet to begin a new relationship, 
Jason said the outpouring of letters gave him “solace 
and even laughter” in the darkest days following his 
wife’s death.

 Just over a year later, Jason wrote his own essay for 
the Times, “My Wife Said You May Want to Marry 
Me,” in which he expressed how grateful he was for 
Amy’s words and recounted the lessons he’d learned 
about loss and grief since her passing.

 He said his wife’s parting gift “continues to open 
doors for me, to affect my choices, to send me off into 
the world to make the most of it.” Jason has since given 
a TED Talk on his grieving process in hopes of helping 
others deal with loss, something he said he never 
would’ve done without Amy’s motivation. 

 Toward the end of his essay, Jason gave readers a bit 
of advice for how they can provide their loved ones 
with a similar gift:

 “Talk with your mate, your children, and other 
loved ones about what you want for them when you 
are gone,” he wrote. “By doing this, you give them 
liberty to live a full life and eventually find meaning 
again.” 

Preserving your intangible assets

This moving story highlights what could be the 
most valuable, yet often-overlooked aspect of estate 
planning. Planning isn’t just about preserving and 
passing on your financial wealth and property in the 
event of your death or incapacity. When done right, 
it equates to sharing your family’s stories, values, life 
lessons, and experiences, so your legacy carries on 
long after you (and your money) are gone.

 Indeed, as the Rosenthals demonstrate, these 
intangible assets can be among the most profound 
gifts you can give. Of course, not everyone has the 
talent or time to write a similarly moving essay or 
have it published in the New York Times, nor is that 
necessary. 


Priceless conversations

 Our Family Legacy Interview (included in all of our 
estate plans) guides you to create a customized video 
in which you share your most insightful memories 
and life lessons with those you love most. 

 We’ve developed a series of helpful questions and 
prompts to make the process of sharing your life 
experiences not only easy, but enjoyable. And this isn’t 
something you have to do on your own—which you 
know you wouldn’t get around to—as we do it with 
you as an integral part of your planning services. 

 In the end, your family’s most precious wealth is not 
money, but the memories you make, the values you 
instill, and the lessons you hand down. And left to 
chance, these assets are likely to be lost forever. 

 If you want to pass down a truly meaningful legacy, 
one that can provide the kind of inspiration Amy’s 
letter did for Jason, contact us. Our customized estate 
planning services will preserve and pass on not only 
your financial wealth, but your most treasured family 
values as well. Start by scheduling a Family Estate 
Planning Session, where we’ll discuss what kind of 
assets you have, what matters most to you, and what 
you want to leave behind.

 Dedicated to empowering your family, building 
your wealth and defining your legacy,

A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission 
to help parents protect what they love most. His office 
is located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 
91024. Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk 
about ensuring a legacy of love and financial security 
for your family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.
GarlettLaw.com for more information.

Washington’s Farewell: The Founding 
Father’s Warning to Future Generations 
by John Avlon 

“A vivid portrait…A thoughtful consideration of 
Washington’s wisdom that couldn’t be timelier.” 
—Kirkus Reviews .George Washington’s 
Farewell Address was a prophetic letter from a 
“parting friend” to his fellow citizens about the 
forces he feared could destroy our democracy: 
hyper-partisanship, excessive debt, and foreign 
wars. Once celebrated as civic scripture, 
more widely reprinted than the Declaration 
of Independence, the Farewell Address is 
now almost forgotten. Its message remains 
starkly relevant. In Washington’s Farewell, 
John Avlon offers a stunning portrait of our 
first president and his battle to save America 
from self-destruction. At the end of his second 
term, Washington surprised Americans by 
publishing his Farewell message in a newspaper. 
The President called for unity among “citizens 
by birth or choice,” advocated moderation, 
defended religious pluralism, proposed a 
foreign policy of independence (not isolation), 
and proposed that education is essential to 
democracy. He established the precedent for 
the peaceful transfer of power. Washington’s 
urgent message was adopted by Jefferson after 
years of opposition and quoted by Lincoln in 
defense of the Union. Woodrow Wilson invoked 
it for nation-building; Eisenhower for Cold War; 
Reagan for religion. Now the Farewell Address 
may inspire a new generation to re-center our 
politics and reunite our nation through the 
lessons rooted in Washington’s experience. As 
John Avlon describes the perilous state of the 
new nation that Washington was preparing to 
leave as its leader, with enduring wisdom, he 
reveals him to be the indispensable Founding 
Father.

White Fire: Spiritual Insights and 
Teachings of Advaita Master Mooji by 
Mooji 

Most of us are eventually compelled to search 
for meaning and fulfillment amidst the 
increasing busyness, isolation, and uncertainty 
of daily life. When our outer pursuits have failed 
to bring lasting contentment, it is our great fortune that 
we are inspired to turn inward. If you have found yourself 
on the quest for true Self-discovery and realization, the 
wisdom and power of White Fire will illumine your way 
and help you see clearly, thereby ending suffering and 
unveiling the happiness and everlasting peace that is our 
natural and effortless state. White Fire is 800 gleaming 
sparks of wisdom from world-renowned Advaita master 
Mooji’s essential spiritual teachings. Mooji’s 
approach is direct and immediate, combining 
deep spiritual wisdom with revealing self-
inquiry. Each one of the quotes and sayings 
in this brilliant collection has the power to 
ignite a burning flame within your heart, 
clear away confusion and doubt, and reveal 
your true nature as perfect and timeless Being. 
The book is an unsparing light for complete 
Self-realization. In Mooji’s own words, “Only 
when the ego is slain by the white fire of pure 
seeing will the light be set free—the light that 
illumines the whole world.”

The Allies: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, 
and the Unlikely Alliance That Won 
World War II Kindle Edition by Winston 
Groom 

Best-selling author Winston Groom tells the 
complex story of how Franklin Roosevelt, 
Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin--the 
three iconic and vastly different Allied leaders-
-aligned to win World War II and created a new 
world order. By the end of World War II, 59 
nations were arrayed against the axis powers, but 
three great Allied leaders--Franklin Roosevelt, 
Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin--had 
emerged to control the war in Europe and 
the Pacific. Vastly different in upbringing 
and political beliefs, they were not always in 
agreement--or even on good terms. But, often 
led by Churchill’s enduring spirit, in the end 
these three men changed the course of history. 
Using the remarkable letters between the three 
world leaders, enriching narrative details of their 
personal lives, and riveting tales of battles won 
and lost, best-selling historian Winston Groom 
returns to share one of the biggest stories of the 
20th century: The interwoven and remarkable 
tale, and a fascinating study of leadership styles, 
of three world leaders who fought the largest war 
in history. 

A Good Man, A Great Dad and a 
Loving Husband by Bradley Brown 

In this book you will find common-sense 
approaches to help you to be a good man, a great 
dad and a loving husband. I have invested 55 
years into researching this book. Like any good scientist, 
trial and error have played a major part in my findings. 
Wisdom is about learning from what we have done or 
what others before us have experienced and evolving as a 
result. It is my hope that the wisdom I share with you here 
will make your journey towards a brilliant life a straighter 
road, allowing you to get there faster. The reviews are from 
Amazon.com


All Things By Jeff Brown

Letter by William Falk, Editor in Chief, The Week 

When the white nationalist accused of killing 11 
people in a Pittsburg synagogue last week arrived 
at an emergency room with several bullet wounds, 
he shouted,” I want to kill all the Jews!” The doctor 
and the nurse waiting to treat Robert Bowers at 
Allegheny General Hospital were Jewish; The 
hospitals president, Dr.Jeffrey Cohen, belongs to 
the Tree of Life congregation Bowers attacked. They 
tended to Bowers as they would any patient.” We’re 
here to take care of sick people,” Cohen said.” You 
do what you think is right.” Cohen made a point of 
talking to Bowers, to see what kind of person could 
turn an AR-15 on grandfathers and grandmothers 
and 2 disabled men. He saw not a monster, but “a very 
lost guy” who’d listened to the “noise” telling him 
that white Christian America was being invaded by 
Jews, by a caravan of Central Americans, by foreign 
vermin.” Words mean things,” Cohen said .”Words 
are leading people to do things like this.” This feels 
like a pivotal time for our country. There are bombs 
in the mail, blood in the temple, and bigotry and 
division in the air. How many more lost, seething 
souls like Bowers and accused Florida bomb maker 
Cesar Sayoc are out there, becoming radicalized by 
the “noise” coming from the White House, the TV, 
and the internet? What happens after the election, 
when partisan conflict will almost surely intensify? 
Amid the ugliness, it is easy to forget that our 
country is filled with decent, principled people like 
Jeffrey Cohen and his staff, people who hate no one, 
and who struggle every day to do what is right even 
when it hurts. I’m not Jewish, but I am moved by the 
concept of Tikkun Olam- the rabbinical teaching 
that we each have a duty to” repair the world.” Our 
world is badly in need of repair. Our wounds need 
tending. We need more healers and less.


HEALTHY LIFESTYLES


YOGIC WISDOM - 

AUTHENTICALLY YOU

 Yoga is about moving 
the body. Yoga is about 
breathing. However, 
yoga is bigger —it’s about 
healing and being YOU. 
Many people come to yoga 
for healing of some kind 
because it works well and 
positively affects overall well-being.

 Part of what we learn in yoga is that nurturing this 
well-being also occurs off the mat and here’s where 
there’s a critical point. To access nurturance, to open up, 
to heal —physically, psychologically, or spiritually-- the 
environment in which you practice has got to feel safe. 
To find your way and to get relief from pain, there must 
be a sense of ease on some level. The great abundance 
gifts of yoga won’t unfold if you’re in an environment 
that feels too competitive or triggers your own fear. It’s 
not really a judgment on that environment, it’s more 
about you. Ultimately, it alters your own authenticity. 

 Consider what’s happening in your body when you 
feel nervous. It affects EVERYTHING --the sympathetic 
nervous response (fight or flight), disruption of Prana 
(life force energy) and a disruption in digestion. But 
during a state of calm, muscles often stretch more 
deeply and more freely. 

 Environments where there’s constant uncertainty 
can be tough. Thoughts may arise: Do I belong here? 
Am I really connected? 

 Sure you can survive. Of course. You survived the 
life experiences that brought to you to this present day. 
Intellectually, you might say, “It’s not them, it’s me. I can 
be neutral and not react,” and that is right. However, 
being around this can be crazy-making, triggering 
something deep within. There’s an expression: What 
price are you paying to NOT be you? The answer is that 
it’s a high price if you are not genuinely empowered, 
encouraged, welcomed, and respected. 

 Take a loving approach with yourself. Please contact 
me if you’d like to learn more about this great practice 
of yoga: keely@keelytotten.com

Keely Totten 

E-RYT 500, Yoga & Meditation Teacher 

Authentically Empowered


THE MISSING PAGE

Real Life Tips from LIfe's Instruction Manual


MAKE ONE CHANGE

As you look at your life, you may feel content or even 
proud of your accomplishments thus far. If you are 
experiencing a feeling of satisfaction, it’s okay to want 
more. You can be grateful where you are and still 
desire more growth, more creativity, or better health. 
Sometimes our desires can be overwhelming; we want 
so much. We have an image of the completed project or 
an idea for transformation but not know where to begin.

 If you experience a feeling of frustration or feel stuck, 
don’t be overly concerned. That’s good news. It is a 
sign of growth, and you are ready for the next phase or 
chapter. 

 If you don’t know where to start, settle in on the notion 
of how you want to feel when you think of the outcome or 
final result?

 If you think about making changes in the area of your 
health, it’s too general to say that you want to improve 
your health. Think more specifically, and try to avoid 
berating yourself for your perceived mistakes, it delays 
your progress. Rather than saying that you want to lose 
weight, stop and consider why you want to lose weight? 
Would you have more energy? Would your sleep 
improve? Would your self-image improve? Would your 
clothes feel more comfortable? Would you require fewer 
medications? Stop and ponder how you want to feel in 
and about your body.

 I have been encouraging my readers to make one 
change. Instead of trying to tackle multiple changes at 
once, commit to a single shift. 

I recently committed to increasing 
my water intake and improving 
my hydration. The results for 
me have been remarkable. Some 
would describe that as a small 
change, and it is, but some days 
it’s difficult for me to meet my 
goal. I have been doing it for 60 
days, and it’s still a challenge. I 
keep going because I’ve already 
seen improvements and I’m clear 
about how I want to feel. This 
one shift reminds me that we 
have everything we need and how simple it is. Water, a 
calorie-free elixir. 

 Still not sure where to start? Grab a pen and paper 
and write this question: “What’s one thing I need to do 
or stop doing to improve this area of my life?” Record 
everything that comes to you as an answer to the query. 
The next and most crucial step is to take action. 

 Now over to you. After you do this exercise write me 
and share the one step you commit to taking to reveal the 
next best version of you.

 Lori A. Harris is a lawyer and coach. You can 
learn more about her and her services at www.
LoriAHarris.com, and your emails are welcome 
at lori@loriaharris.com-- 


Lori A. Harris

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com