You may not realize
it but your life has been influenced by or benefited from the lives of those
who have gone before you; your parents, grandparents, great grandparents. They
have brought you to this station in your life.
Everything that
happens to us trickles down in some way and affects the lives of our
descendants. Each of us is a byproduct of all the ancestors that preceded us.
They have left us the reality we currently live in. Their values and
achievements affect our lives in ways we may not even realize.
If your life is not
written down or recorded in some way, the memory of who you are will fade with
the years. You do not have to write a book to document your life. Many people
are not motivated or are unable to do that. But everyone can keep a diary or
journal. We can all video or audio record aspects of ourselves that we want to
share and live on. How exciting would it be to suddenly discover the diary of a
long-deceased relative? Wouldn't it be fascinating to hear how life was in
those days?
We want to be
remembered for how we lived, not how we died. We want to share the gifts we
have with others while our eyes are open. We want to leave this Earth with no
grudges or regrets. We must live every day as if it is our last, because it
very well could be.
In the book 7
Habits of Highly Effective People, Author Stephen Covey gives an exercise that
involves writing our own eulogy. He says when planning our legacies we should
think about our lives with the end in mind, not out of morbidity but to give us
a clear focus of how we want our lives to turn out. The eulogy is to be written
from the perspective of four speakers; a family member, a co-worker, a member
of your house of worship, and a friend. We are to ask ourselves what these
people would say about us if we died today.
These eulogies
become mission statements that help us define the legacy we hope to leave. They
help us determine where we are now and where we need to go to reach our
destination. Covey says that our mind creates a thought first and then a
physical action follows. So thinking about the end helps us to manifest the
things we want.
There are no
guarantees that your legacy will live on exactly as you hope it will. Some
people feel more comfortable pre-arranging a plan of action for the legacy they
want to leave. That method will boost the probability that their wishes will be
fulfilled. If there is money, property, custody issues, or other assets
involved that is advisable. But you do not have to have material assets or even
a plan to leave a legacy.
Be the kind of
person you want others to remember. Be a giver not a taker. Keep your outlook
on the brighter side of life. Be grateful for everything that comes to you.
Take the good with the bad. Be honest and true in all your dealings. Be courageous
and faithful. Be kind and understanding. Inspire others with the way you live
your life.
Love your family
enough to plan ahead for the day when you will no longer be here. Tie up all
your loose ends so your family is not left with a complicated mess to clean up
after you are gone. If you have children or close relatives and don't have a
will it is wise to have one drawn up. Make your wishes known. Families divide
and fall apart when there is a death and the deceased did not make his or her
wishes clear.
Evaluate the way
you live your life and the memories you hope to leave behind. Touch as many
lives as you can. Leave an imprint you can be proud of. Be aware, live
consciously, and act deliberately. Make it a priority to begin living your
legacy today. Tomorrow cannot wait-it may never come.
Author Shannon
Alder summed this all up perfectly when she wrote, "Regrets are the last
words you speak to your loved ones when you die and the one thing we all fear
when we live. I'd rather regret the things I've done and said than regret the
things I haven't done or said. It is all the experiences and people you missed
out on in life that you will feel the most regretful for in the end. God will
forgive you of your mistakes, but there is nothing to forgive if you have never
even tried, done or said anything that made a difference in your life or
others."
Make living your
legacy a priority today.Don't wait until tomorrow. It may never come.
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