“Please think about your legacy because you are writing it every day.” Gary Vaynerchuk
If you were to die today, how would you be remembered? Would it be for your kindness, your philanthropy, compassion, and generosity? Or might it instead be for your poor choices, your jealousy, apathy, or anger? While some consider their legacy the wealth or material things they leave behind, I believe our legacies are the summation of the actions and accomplishments achieved during our lifetime.
No matter who we are or what we do in this life, we all leave behind a legacy. It’s what we bequeath (intended or not) to our family, friends, and the world in general. And while the Internet and social media have made it much easier to go viral and find your 15 minutes of fame, lifetime legacies rarely happen overnight and usually take, well, a lifetime to create.
Very few of us will change the world; however, every one of us can help effect change within our own worlds. We all have a sphere of influence we interact within and that is where our legacy will reside. We create it with each thought, each action, and each interaction we have with others. Fortunately for most of us, our legacy isn’t created in one day or through one stupendous mistake, but through the consistent actions we take each day.
For some, their legacy will be their name adorning a university (Vanderbilt, Spelman or Clemson), a company (Hilton, Nestle’ and Walt Disney), a comet (Haley’s) or perhaps even a telescope (Hubble). But for most of us, our legacy will reside within the hearts and minds of those we touch throughout our lives in our actions and interactions.
Have any of these people ever touched your life and made an impact?
Teachers: Our oldest son had a third-grade teacher named Mrs. Hash who was old-school and didn’t let you get away with anything in her class. He complained loudly then because she was hard, but given the perspective of time, he understands how her influence helped shape him into the man he is now. Did you have a teacher like that? One who touched your heart and who you remember fondly even to this day? That’s a legacy.
Doctors & Nurses: Despite the Covid-19 world we now live in, healthcare professionals continue to step up and risk their lives every day. Most get into this profession because of their desire to help others and give comfort. The stress these professionals are under every day is enormous, yet the stories from the front lines are amazing: A nurse in a hospital outside Detroit singing “Amazing Grace” at the beginning of a new shift; a 62-year old retired doctor in New Mexico coming out of retirement to work with Covid patients; an elementary school nurse in Minnesota who formed a team to sew 4,000 face masks, which they gave away to neighbors, the local fire department and area businesses. These people create their legacies in the hearts and minds of those they interact with every day.
First Responders: Be they EMT’s, fire fighters or police, first responders give back to their communities every day as part of their job. From traffic accidents, house fires, forest fires, violent incidents of all kinds, these professionals do their jobs despite the risks they often face. These brave souls make tremendous sacrifices in their work and personal lives every day creating legacies of strength, courage and humility.
If you have children, a part of your legacy will be what type of people they turn into as adults. Fair or not, people will look at them and see you, so give them a moral compass early in life to ensure they make the choices that will always lead them upwards.
The question is, what are you doing right now, today, this week, and this year, to create your legacy? What will you be remembered for when you have moved on to whatever lies beyond this life? Whether you believe in God or some other universal power, the fact is you will leave a legacy, a memory for which you will be remembered. And like the ripples from a pebble thrown in water, your legacy will continue to touch other people’s lives long after you’re gone as the ripples move farther and farther out.
So, what’s your legacy going to be?
“Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people.” - Peter Strople
After several decades on-the-radio as a DJ and traffic reporter, Steve Woodburn MAS, stumbled, as most do, into the world of promotional products. He spent 27 years on the distributor side and the last three as a supplier, which gives him a unique perspective on this crazy business and life in general.