Some New Yorkers may be hesitant to bring up the topic of advance care planning. For some, the thought of what it may be like to lose the ability to communicate your decisions can be scary. Others may worry about how the conversation may feel for the person(s) they want to speak with. However, these conversations do not have to be stressful or uncomfortable, and you do not have to immediately jump into a list of interventions and what you would want. Instead, we recommend that you first begin with thinking about your core values and what matters most to you. We often hear from New Yorkers who have had advance care planning conversations, and were pleasantly surprised by how different they were than expected. Many report that these conversations brought them even closer to those they love and made them feel less afraid of the future. It really can be a gift to tell those closest to you what you would want them to do on your behalf, so they are not left to wonder whether they are doing the right thing.