Legacy

As a huge rock and roll fan, I can’t help but be affected by the recent deaths of two of the greatest songwriters over the past few weeks: Glenn Frey from the Eagles and David Bowie. What I admire about these two individuals is their legacy. Their music will live on even though they will no longer be here to perform it.

This gets me thinking about my own mortality. What evidence of my presence will still exist after I’m gone? Will I succeed in making the world a better place?

For those of us with children we can derive a sense of immortality by knowing that they can carry on our legacy. There is some comfort in this realization. The question becomes, however, how do we impart that legacy? Your responsibility as a parent goes beyond the passing of your DNA. While we can’t control the path our children take in life, we can certainly exert our influence. My idea of exerting influence is to instill a good moral compass so that my children have the tools to make good decisions in life. This, combined with teaching strong values, being available to them both physically and emotionally, and loving them unconditionally, is how I choose to impart my influence.

What about your professional legacy? If you own a business that you created, do you have the people that can keep that business going without you? If you are in the corporate world, you probably know of people that have retired or passed on that have been immortalized through the impact they have had on the business and the people within it. Will you be that person? If not, what can you do to become that person?

Will you have a lasting impact on your community? Do you do things to enhance the environment around you? Do you give of yourself? Do you share your resources with those around you? What have you done to make your community a better place? Will you be remembered for what you have done? If not, what can you do to become that person?

We never know when our last day will be. If your desire is to make an impact such that your presence is felt long after you are gone, it’s time to evaluate where you are in each aspect of your life. If you are not where you want to be, what would you have to do to get there?

Begin by deciding specifically what you want your legacy to be in each aspect of your life. What would you have to do to bring this into being? Write these items down and create a plan to get you there. Starting tomorrow, execute on the plan.

Drop me a note to let me know how it goes. [email protected]