Update your estate plan? How depressing! 7 ways to transform that depression into vital expression

My colleagues who work in the field of estate planning will not be surprised to see that "update your estate plan" was included in this article on a list of items of advice given to people who are growing older. Although it may not please my colleagues, they also probably won't be surprised to see that the items on the list were described as "depressing."

Well, sure. Prepare for what is going to happen to your property after you are dead? No longer breathing? In the ground or burned up in a little box of greyish flakes? We know from social psychology's Terror Management Theory that being reminded of your mortality can affect your behavior, your decisions, your mood.

Plan for your demise? Enough to ruin your week!

And we also know that there are many ways to make the concept of estate planning palatable, even gratifying and compelling . . .