Create your life, connect with others, and change the world. A Life Statement is a powerful way to record and share who you are to make a difference in your own life and the lives of others.

The real measure of our lives is in what we learn from our life experiences, the ideas we bring into the world, the values we live by, and our hopes for the future. Life stories, memorials, biographies, and even mission statements are often a recitation of facts, events, and goals without the personal meaning behind them. In keeping with the tradition in some cultures of writing an ethical will – which, instead of passing along valuables, passes along values – a Life Statement is an opportunity to share who you are. Not only will it mean something to you and your family – a blueprint for living and a meaningful gift for generations that follow – but you are also contributing to a learning community celebrating collective wisdom and action.

You're probably familiar with the words of ancient Greek philosopher Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living. No one is wiser than you." There is personal value in thinking about who you are, where you've been, and where you want to go. There is also social value.

You may be less familiar with the words of James Baldwin: "You can write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can't, but also knowing that [the words] we leave are indispensable to the world... The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it." That's the power of a Legacy Project Life Statement.

Life Statements can be created by children, teens, and adults. You can create a Life Statement for yourself or for someone else:

1. Create a Life Statement on behalf of someone (e.g. to honor the memory of a parent, grandparent, or other family member).

2. Give the Life Statement as a gift to a family member or friend.

3. As a personal journey of self-discovery, a special gift to your family, or to celebrate the birth of a child or grandchild, you can create a Life Statement for yourself that not only becomes a blueprint for living but also leaves a meaningful legacy.

A Life Statement is an opportunity. It explores who you are, your relationships with others, and your impact on the world.

As the Legacy Project logo suggests, our lives can be a path along which we ask questions and make choices. The questions we ask and the answers we find determine the kind of life we live, the relationships we have, and the ways we shape our world. Our legacy evolves as we move from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood and older adulthood.

A Life Statement looks at where you've been and where you'd still like to go. It's an opportunity to permanently record and share your most significant life experiences, ideas, values, and hopes. It has personal meaning to you and your family, and will make a difference in the lives of others as part of this online learning community. Learning about real life from real people is one of the best ways to better understand ourselves and the world around us.

Creating a Life Statement

The Life Statement you create appears on your own webpage as part of the Legacy Project's Life Statement Library. You can include text and a significant photograph. You also have the option of including a link to a family or personal website, or a Facebook or MySpace page.

You choose the personal information you wish to appear as part of your Life Statement (e.g. first name, last name, or both; date of birth; etc.). You can use your own writing creativity or, if you need some help creating and focusing your Life Statement, you can follow the easy-to-use templates with question prompts we've carefully researched and developed. Our staff are also available to answer questions.

Once you submit your Life Statement, you'll be able to review it and make revisions before it's permanently posted.

Your Life Statement webpage becomes a permanent record that you, your family, and others can read. You create your own unique blueprint for living, and give the most important part of yourself – your most significant experiences, ideas, values, and hopes – as a gift to others.

For children and teens, we have special Life Statement writing guides that can be used by schools and youth programs (contact us for more information). Help young people discover and refine who they are as they make important choices for their future.

Our goal is to make the Life Statement accessible to EVERYONE. If you're able to make a one-time contribution to help us cover the costs of creating and maintaining the online Life Statement Library, that's appreciated.
If not, your Life Statement is still a welcome addition to the library.

Legacy Project Chair Susan V. Bosak has written a sample Life Statement to honor the memory of her grandmother, Eva Krawchuk. Note that a Life Statement can be created to honor the memory of a family member or friend, or you can create a Life Statement for yourself.

For inspiration and contemplation, read the special
What Is Legacy? article by Susan V. Bosak.

Real life, real people. A Life Statement is your opportunity to share who you are as part of a meaningful online learning community. It's a permanent life resource for all ages.

For more information about creating a Life Statement, contact the Legacy Project at 1-800-772-7765. Or, if you'd like to get the process started without obligation, complete the form below.