I don’t mean to align this Grand Planning work to the Good Works (of most any world religion) in any offensive way, but I think there is a super important, painfully obvious correlation between the two that we should all be hmmmming and ah ha-ing over as we march toward our golden years. Developing a Grand Plan in life is one of our holiest, most comprehensive callings, I think. Stay with me please as I attempt to explain why.

One of the most indisputable connection points is the sacred practice of lessening — the spiritual challenge of diminishing our sense of self and stuff. This thinking is allllll through the Bible and is the foundation of most world religions. Self/stuff = stupid waste. If you want to be first, you have to be last (Matthew 20:16); the ridiculously unimportant treasure you store up on earth will be consumed by moths (Matthew 6:19); you ain’t getting into heaven if you’re rich (Matthew 19:23); be a servant to all (Mark 9:35). I think you’re picking up what I’m laying down: lessening is a virtue and appears to be one of the biggest tickets to eternal life.

Lessening also is the foundation of grand-planning. In fact, lessening as part of your Grand Plan may be the final exam of life’s biggest lesson! This senior stage is our time to shine and put all that Bible versing and holy roller rationale we’ve learned to practice. Purge that storage unit! Give away all that garage garbage! Pare back your pantries and reduce your resources! Be generous in your gifting or financial planning! Life’s too short and family relationships are too precious to hold onto all this crap! Stop acquiring stuff you want but don’t need! Just stop with the stuff and self! The lessening of self, or ego, also is critical to a workable Grand Plan. We’ve had a lifetime to think in terms of ourselves. If we’re lucky enough be geri-people, we must make every effort to deflate and start thinking about how our behaviors, choices and plans affect OTHERS — especially the loved ones who are coming along behind us. Lessening is key.

Another godly lesson you read about in world religions that ties in nicely to grand planning is the importance of community. Jesus talked about having one body and many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12) and community is why people go to church or synagogue or to the mosque or meeting house: there’s strength in it, plain and simple. When we’re putting together a Grand Plan, community must be a factor — if it’s not, we’ll find ourselves alone and needing a lot of help and attention from the friends and family we pushed to the corners. If we’re created to live in community, why on earth would we want to live by ourselves in spaces that ensure our future care and daily living needs are expensive, inaccessible and annoyingly difficult? This should never be part of a workable Grand Plan. But the creation of community is at the center of one.

I could go on and on, but I’ll wrap up with the biggest correlation I see: the importance of a golden rule mentality. Also known as empathy or unconditional love. Read: putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Of course, you see this thinking in all world religions: (“”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” the Bible, Luke 6:31. “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary,” Jewish Talmud. “This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you,” Hindu Mahabharata. “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself,” Islamic Sunnah.) So it stands to reason it would be another test of faith that should play out in our grand planning efforts. The prevailing grrrrrrr and WTAF stories about senior loved ones I’ve heard (and experienced!) are about this unbelievable LACK of empathy out there on the geri-scene. It’s like we spend our whole lives thinking about how we can serve others and then BAM! We turn into seniors and we can’t for the life of us see how our actions have consequences for others. This certainly isn’t everyone’s story. But I do hear people talk about this a LOT. So it seems like the right and smart thing to at least emphasize the importance of empathy and understanding as we look ahead toward a senior management plan. I love my people, and I want to do unto them as I’d like them to do unto me.