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A Whole Harvest of Iowa Authors---Jo Kline Cebuhar, J.D.
Where did the idea for So Grows the Tree- Creating an Ethical Will originate?
I was first introduced to the ancient practice of creating and sharing an ethical will,
the message of one’s values, as a hospice volunteer. The more I learned, the more I knew this inspiring
tradition deserved its own book.
If you could sit down with potential readers, what messages that are a vital part of the book would you share?
- We each have a unique ethical footprint, the impression of our beliefs and values, life lessons and hopes for the future.
- An ethical will is a map for your ethical journey: reflection on where you’ve been and what you’ve learned and looking forward to what you hope will be.
- The evidence is statistical and anecdotal: Our loved ones want to receive the legacy of our values and life lessons.
- Your ethical footprint is what you practice in your daily words and deeds. But when you make a permanent record of what you stand via your ethical will, you take the important leap of bequeathing your values, wisdom and hopes to your loved ones and to the circle of people they influence, today and perhaps for thousands of tomorrows.
Talk about your thought process in both the writing and design process of a book that is completely user friendly.
I needed to teach the reader about ethical wills as well as stir the reader’s passion to create an ethical will and-most
importantly-give the reader the tools to start and complete the job. I thought about what resonates for me in learning about
a subject, so there’s space for note-taking. The book features a lay-flat binding and it’s a short read so you still have
the energy to create after you learn. The design is a reflection of the most effective teaching tools: stories, facts,
examples and encouragement. It takes learning from knowing to doing.
Talk about the companion publication.
Not long after So Grows The Tree was released, readers started asking how to use the book in a workshop setting. I wanted to assist others in conducting affordable, accessible workshops and I knew if it wasn’t fun, it just wouldn’t be done. Knowing that most people run in the opposite direction of 1) organizing and 2) public speaking, The Workshop Edition of So Grows The Tree includes a step-by-step guide for the leader, including copy for invitations, posters, scripts and a quick primer on "workshopping." The Workshop Edition features a DVD, my narration of the book accompanied by a slideshow of its faces, places and key elements.
A writers’ workshop provides discipline, feedback, sharing, encouragement and new friends. The unique design of The Workshop Edition of So Grows The Tree makes the Ethical Will Workshop experience simple, affordable and fun.
The book is available at www.SoGrowsTheTree.com, www.Amazon.com and independent booksellers. Jo Kline Cebuhar is available for speaking engagements and mini-workshops-90-minute presentations that tell the story of ethical wills and provide a sample of the Ethical Will Workshop experience. To subscribe to her free monthly Ethical Will newsletter, visit www.SoGrowsTheTree.com or e-email SoGrowsTheTree@msn.com.
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Jo Kline Cebuhar, J.D.
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