By Shazad
“The life you’re living—that’s the only monument that counts. Who you are in this moment, how you treat people, how you treat yourself—that is the real legacy.
And it’s passing you by as you read this.”
Ryan Holiday
As a person ages and approaches their senior years, they start to think about their legacy. Some people get concerned about what will be said or written about them when they are gone. Other’s worry about the assets and money they have accumulated to hand off to the next generation. What if we could ensure a good legacy while we are still alive? It is possible.
Let start with a definition. I like this one for Legacy:
“the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.”
The above clearly implies that what we say and do become part of our legacy which is great news! By making better choices of what we focus our time on and things we engage in, we are created ripples in time while we are alive and these will hopefully, continue spreading after we are gone. Doing good things and participating in good causes with others on consistent basis is a great way to create a positive impact. We can even schedule things like a monthly donation to a cause, quarterly volunteer exercise, or daily check-in with family or friends to make sure they are ok.
If we want to make even more impact and thus have a greater legacy, we need to work in teams and communities. We can recruit our families, relatives, and friends in our efforts so that the impact is multiplied and we have engaged multiple generations of people across a diverse section of society. Hopefully, some of these people will also engage their circle of friends and relatives and do the same so that the benefits continue to multiply in all directions. Having group events to help some new immigrants or job seekers is a great way to do this. Scheduling blood donations with colleagues at work or from the community is another easy way to recruit people in a cause.
The third way to craft our legacy is to talk about it frequently with people we care about so they know what we are trying to do and why. It’s not about showing off or acting superior to others. It’s about inspiring others to be part of the good things we are committed to and also encouraging our network of friends to consider what legacy they are leaving behind so they can also design their lives with this in mind.
Legacy is not simply material possessions, wealth, or fame. It’s the hard to grasp things like feelings, Love, memories, and good vibes we send out when we are around and even after we have left this world. By focusing on our values and desire to do good while we are alive, we get to shape the legacy we are going to leave and ensure its’ an accurate story about our lives. What will your legacy be?
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