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.
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