The Person You Want to Be, with Eric Teplitz

Ep. 9: Educator, Author, and Legacy Work Facilitator, Merle R. Saferstein

July 26, 2022 Eric Teplitz, Merle Saferstein Season 1 Episode 9
The Person You Want to Be, with Eric Teplitz
Ep. 9: Educator, Author, and Legacy Work Facilitator, Merle R. Saferstein
Show Notes Chapter Markers

Merle R. Saferstein has been journaling for 48 years, and has amassed a collection of 380 journals, the majority of which are the basis for her newly published book "Living and Leaving My Legacy, Vol. 1".

After 26 years as a Holocaust educator, wherein she worked with hundreds of Holocaust survivors, helping them share their stories with younger generations, she retired and created Living and Leaving Your Legacy®. Through classes, workshops, and lectures, she has guided thousands of people in sacred legacy work, writing for wellness, and journaling.

Her short story collection, "Room 732", pays homage to the historic Hollywood Beach Hotel.

Merle lives in Miami, FL, with her husband of 55 years, with whom she has two children and two grandchildren.

Merle R. Saferstein Links:
Website: http://merlersaferstein.com/
Author Page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Merle-R-Saferstein/e/B00AON1L4W/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=inspiredliv02-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=42c0ae06aa9441c5630e8fd5b95a6589&camp=1789&creative=9325

About Your Host, Eric Teplitz:
Website: http://ericteplitz.com/
Schedule a FREE coaching consultation: http://ericteplitz.com/work-with-me/
Access a FREE preview of Eric's online course "Opening to Greater Possibilities": https://ericteplitz.thinkific.com/

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The Person You Want to Be intro
Introducing Merle R. Saferstein
First and foremost, an educator
Driven by an interest in connecting with people
Thoughts on education for teachers
An impossible question
Journaling vs. sleep
Doing Socrates proud
“How we live our lives becomes our legacy”
Journaling origin story
Letter writing
The risks of keeping journals
How well can we know others (and ourselves)?
Facing our shadow and the gifts we give to others by doing so
What Merle’s daughter asked her to include
What it took for journaling to stick
“Are there things in here worth sharing?”
A Necklace of Pearls
A life-changing meeting at the beach
Overseeing an Anne Frank photographic exhibition
The gifts of Merle’s book for the reader
“It’s just one person’s life, but it’s all our lives”
How Merle mined hundreds of her journals and fashioned a book out of them
Sustaining motivation and the “emotional process” of working on the book
Self-doubt and vulnerability
Pivoting into legacy work
Ethical wills
Seven different forms of legacy
“We all want to know we matter”
A journal excerpt from September 2001
A blessed soul