allen m. spivack 
​statement of BELIEFS and values 

About six months before my 70th birthday in 2018, I decided to mark this personal milestone by creating a Statement of Beliefs and Values (commonly called an Ethical Will). I wanted to capture the lessons I've learned from living a life filled with accomplishments, struggles, disappointments and joys. I wanted to distill what really mattered to me. I worked on this document almost every day for six months, reflecting on what has been important and then honing the language.

On my birthday, at precisely the time I was born on November 8, 1948, I sent My Statement  to everyone on my many lists-hundreds of people. I explained what it was, why I did it and hoped that my audience would benefit from reading it. Many of the beliefs and values in My Statement explain why I became a sculptor, why I never gave up my dream of becoming a professional artist and why working as an artist helps me to express what is truly important to me. 
​
I encourage YOU, at some point in your life, to write your own Statement of Beliefs and Values so others will know what you've come to value. 
                                                 Statement of Beliefs and Values of Allen M. Spivack
 
1. Be an honest person, generous with your time and money
  • Be honest and forthright about your life. Become a good listener but also ask probing, thoughtful questions. Generously donate your money to support the causes you believe in.
2. See the pain and distress that many people live with
  • Strive to show others empathy and kindness and offer your help if they ask for it.
3. Everyone is worthy of your time and attention regardless of their station in life 
  • There’s a lot of suffering and goodness in our world and everyone needs to be acknowledged and heard. 
4. Assiduously avoid listening to or spreading gossip
  • Gossip in all its forms is evil, destructive and reprehensible. Be quick to condemn those who spread it and understand the irreparable damage it does to all parties.
5. Cultivate enduring friendships with people who can offer you mutual respect and   
    understanding
  • Appreciate what each person is capable of offering you in a friendship. A healthy relationship requires mutuality. Work to develop this in your friendships but if you don’t find it, it’s time to move on. 
6. Humor the world with lots of laughter and plenty of jokes
  • Learn how to tell jokes and tell them often! Maintain your sense of humor and cultivate a hearty laugh. 
7. Tune into the things in your life that put a ‘fire in your belly’
  • Be keenly aware of what energizes you in your day-to-day life. Figure out how you’ll pursue and develop what you’re passionate about. Be patient and persevere because you’ll eventually get there.
8. Find and cultivate your spiritual essence
  • While your spiritual sensibilities don’t have to be God-centered, it’s essential to discover a spiritual core to truly experience the majesty of nature, of creativity and of love.
9. Embrace the message but not the messenger
  • I’ve received invaluable guidance and learning from a wide range of seers and sinners. Deeply embrace the lessons you receive but be wary of the messenger. Don’t idealize or idolize those who share their wisdom because you will almost always be disappointed.
10. “Find where you stand; than stand there” 
  • Daniel Berrigan, a formidable Catholic priest, spoke these words. Be certain about what you value and know where your ‘red lines’ are, particularly what behaviors and attitudes you will never tolerate. Then stand your ground! 
11. Listen to and play lots of music 
  • It will fill your soul with unbounded joy. Nothing truly connects humanity like music. The moshiach* will most certainly be a musician!
12. Make a pilgrimage (or two...)
  • Cultivate a fascination with a place of wonder that you simply must visit or a work of art that you simply must see or an experience that you simply must be part of; then make the pilgrimage to visit, to see and to be part of.


   *Moshiach-the Hebrew word used to describe the eventual return of a Jewish messiah and the messianic age