Money that comes from an inheritance or partnering with an inheritor can take on an outsized power in our lives. While those who gave us financial wealth intended to improve the quality of our lives, there are many ways it can also make one feel small, overwhelmed, or even lost. Financial inheritance comes with responsibilities we may not have been trained to handle, or have interest in. It can carry burdens of guilt and shame. It can become a primary feature of our identity. Our self-worth to net-worth ratio can get out of balance, and without paid work our self-esteem can suffer. In relationships with unequal financial wealth, the money can become a third-party, disrupting intimacy.

At this year’s Summer Institute, we will explore questions such as: 

• How can we get more comfortable with financial wealth being a part of our identity, with less concern about what others think?

• What choices can we make to prevent the money from negatively impacting our most important relationships?

• What dimensions of emotional fluency do we need to develop in order to navigate issues that arise in relationships with friends and family?

• In a time of insecurity about the future caused by the impact of climate change and social and political upheaval, what makes us feel safe and like we are making a positive difference in the world?

• What brings us a sense of meaningful occupation, whether paid or unpaid?

Our goal is to increase our abilities to use our wealth to help us be happier, in strong relationships with others and ourselves, and to live our values more fully. 

The Summer Institute incorporates a balance of large and small group activities, with time for personal reflection and opportunities to socialize. Whether you've spent little time or decades pondering questions like those above, the Summer Institute will provide something of value to you. It is our experience that what we learn and explore together leads to more open, fulfilling conversations and relationships throughout our lives.