Have you ever asked yourself what your ultimate purpose
is; what you are supposed to add to this world and what imprint you will leave
on it? Are you living the legacy you hope to leave behind?
Author Ray Bradbury wrote in his book Fahrenheit 451, "Everyone must leave something behind
when he dies. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere
to go when you die. It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you change
something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like
you after you take your hands away."
Each of us will leave a legacy behind after we pass on;
that is a given. It doesn't matter how young or old we are; we never know when
our days are up. Would you be proud of the legacy you left behind if your life
ended today? We should each aspire to live our lives every day in
ways that cast a positive light on us. Furthermore our lives should set an
example that others who follow after us will benefit from.
In essence, living a legacy requires consideration for
tomorrow. That does not mean living for the future. To focus on our legacies we
must certainly consider future outcomes. But living our legacies means making
each moment count, living each moment with intention.
An intention is a course of action, physical, mental,
emotional, or spiritual, that one intends to follow. It is an objective or
vision that guides our thoughts, attitudes, and choices. We send our intentions
out in the form of a thought but we must fulfill their destination with our
deliberate actions. This is important because you are building your legacy
every day, whether by intention or not.
A life that just happens does not inspire anyone. No
one will remember it. So the most important question to ask ourselves when
planning our legacy is, "In what light do I want to be remembered. Will
others see my life as having been lived to the fullest, or will they see it as
a life of someone who just got by?"
Ultimately we have no control over how others will
remember us, but we certainly can influence it. To do that we must have a
direction-we must identify what we want to contribute and achieve while we are
here.
Whatever we achieve in life, the knowledge we acquire,
and the challenges we rise above, gets passed down through the generations that
follow after us. Our words and actions become ripples in the sea of time. They
will impact the lives of our family, friends, and community, and continue to
carry on long after we are gone.
The legacy of our lives will impact the lives of those
we hold dearest-our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and future
generations. Our words and actions of today influence the way we will be
remembered tomorrow. What stories and memories will you leave behind?
Everyone will be remembered for something. We all hope
to be remembered in a positive light. That memory is influenced by the way we
live our day-to-day life, by our attitudes, outlooks, values, and convictions.
It is better to be remembered as an optimistic person than a pessimistic
person.
It is better to be remembered for our inner strength
than for our weakness. It is better to be remembered as a faithful person than
one who is faithless. And it is better to be remembered as one who is kind than
one who is hostile.
Are you living a life of intention or do you merely
exist? Are you living the life that is best suited for you and your uniqueness
or are you living the life that others want you to live? Are you following your
heart or following the crowd?
What
kind of legacy do you envision for yourself? Do you hope to leave a legacy of
love?
If so there are many ways for you to do that. You can
be a loyal, true person who supports and celebrates the successes of others.
You can treat others with compassion, and kindness. You can love deeply and
unconditionally. You can teach others to fight for what they believe in.
You can advocate for those who cannot advocate for
themselves. You can be charitable. You can be accepting and forgiving. You can
nurture and respect all creation; the Earth, animals, and the family of
mankind. You can love life. You can spread light. You can love yourself. And
you can allow others to love you.
Perhaps
the legacy you want to leave is one of purpose.
Leaving a legacy of purpose requires living for
purposes greater than our selves. To live for purpose we must positively impact
the world while we are here as well as long after we are gone. We can do that
through the generosity of our time and service or through financial endowments.
Some people donate money while they are alive. Some bequest
their estates to charities, religious institutions, or scholarship funds after
they pass on. But one does not have to have money to leave a legacy of purpose.
For most people it is the work they do in life that leaves a legacy of purpose,
whether for individuals, a business, a foundation, a non-profit organization,
school, or religious institutions.
You
may hope to leave a legacy of excellence or inspiration
You can accomplish this by pursuing excellence in
something or everything to inspire excellence in those around you. You can
encourage others to raise the bar on their own standards. Strive to make a
difference in whatever situation you are committed to whether through
outstanding teaching, school, charitable work, parenting, the arts, or the business
world.
Inspire and teach others to have hope, whether through
your words or messages, or by quiet example. Call on the adversity you have
risen above or the difficult feats you have bravely achieved to accomplish
wonderful things with your life. Your diligence and optimistic outlook is what
helped you reach and exceed your goals. Others are empowered by your exemplary
life, and the legacy continues.
You
can also leave a legacy of encouragement
Be someone who encourages and stands behind others
cheering them on. Know how to treat people with respect. Make others feel
special. Be generous with praise and gentle with criticism.
Lend a helpful hand
to those who are giving their best effort but may still be struggling. Be
considerate of the well-being of others. Offer help to those who are striving
to reach their goals. Parents, spouses, friends, teachers, and coworkers have
the greatest opportunities to leave legacies of encouragement.
Leaving a legacy does not require financial wealth or
notoriety. There are many unsung heroes walking or who have walked this Earth.
Each of us plays an essential part in the overall puzzle of life. All our lives
have meaning, influence, and purpose. Each of us has something remarkable to
pass on to our descendants and to the world.
Living your life with a positive attitude, hopeful
outlook, honorable value system, and clear conviction will create a legacy that
others will remember long after you are gone.
