“…And the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution”
~ Stephen R. Covey
What is your legacy? Legacy is defined as, “something received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past” (Webster). It also means how someone is remembered and what contributions they made while they were alive. Following the blog, A Matter of Life and Death, I wanted to explore the idea about how defining your legacy can lead you to create actions, choose behaviors and follow-through on commitments that support the legacy you are creating. Legacies can be fostered in many areas of your life and it can be useful to pinpoint what is important to you. How do you want others to remember you? Talk about you? What “part” of you do you want to live on? Many people begin to think about their legacy as their children grow, they retire and as they enter their golden years. The core question is: has my life mattered? Have I impacted anyone and/or anything? Thinking about your legacy can inspire you to live in the now, embrace your strengths and values, and push you to share them with the world.
“I may be here for a short while, gone tomorrow into oblivion or until the days come to take me away. But, in whatever part you play, be remembered as part of a legacy...of sharing dreams and changing humanity for the better. It's that legacy that never dies” ~ Anonymous
Your legacy is not simply about “success” as defined by dollars in a bank account or the size of your home or the trust fund you leave. You do not need to save the world, own a huge company or make a scientific breakthrough to leave a legacy. A legacy is not a label or title, it is essentially the emotional imprint you will leave with others. Any of us who has lost a loved one knows that their legacy was not just what they did, but who they were, how they made us feel and the “piece” that is missing now that they are gone. The legacy I am referring to is defining what is meaningful to you and exploring that with all the gusto and fire power that you can. It is the desire to leave your stamp on different areas of life in the hopes of impacting future generations in empowering, helpful and meaningful ways. Your legacy is in question every day. It is answered by the people you connect with and it is answered by the meaning and purpose you carry with you in all your choices. Your life is driven by the desire to know yourself and have others the better for knowing you. There is not some mysterious, external purpose that will make you worthy or valuable. It is not outside of you. It is whatever you decide it will be. Only you can define your legacy.
Your legacy will probably contain multiple elements and pieces, that when put together, form a whole. You may want to be remembered for changes you implemented in your field of work, research that you conducted, as well as being remembered for mentoring young people, always with a fun spirit and a great sense of humor. You may want to be remembered for being a loving mother and wife whose creativity was seen in a beautiful home and in her attention to detail. You may want to be remembered for living life in a calm, peaceful way and whose ability to make their friends and family feel special was always evident. There is no end to how you can shape your legacy and there is no bigger or better. There is only that which makes you feel alive and connected and it is this signature that remains.
Begin to explore the idea of a legacy, now, in order to provide direction and clarify actions that you want to continue, end or begin. Relish in who you are and what makes you feel alive and find ways to share yourself. Do not underestimate or scale your contributions or impact. What is most poignant about legacies is that your inner desires, dreams, hopes and passions have a chance to shine. Although there is a focus on leaving something to others, creating a legacy is really about living your life On Purpose.
TAKE ACTION:
Think about your legacy and select the categories that are most fitting for you: Intellectual, Physical, Emotional, Social, Occupational and Spiritual.
1. What would you like your legacy to be in each area?
2. Where do you see yourself in one year? What legacy of yourself will you leave behind in one year? Five years time?
3. Write a letter to yourself about your legacy.
4. Ask others to write a letter - what do they think your legacy will be?
5. Focus on your legacy now; how would you describe your legacy so far?
6. What will have to change, stop or keep doing in order to achieve your legacy?
7. How will you be able to identify that you are on the right track?
If you would like support in defining and living your legacy, please contact me at onpurposelifecoaching@hotmail.com
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