What’s Your Legacy? Don’t Wait Till It’s Too Late to Think About It.

When I was in my 20’s, I saw a poster that read “Will it matter that I was?” Those words got me thinking about the legacy I wanted to leave, an inquiry that’s still ongoing to this day.

Every one of us leaves a legacy, but surprisingly few reflect on what they want theirs to be. Yet, it’s an important point for us all to ponder.

I once stumbled on a very touching blog written by a hospice physician. She saw how many of her patients were “deeply disturbed” because they hadn’t “contributed anything significant to life.”

“The message I have taken away from these patients,” she wrote, “is that it is far better to contemplate the meaning of life when we actually have some time left to work on the question.”

I started asking myself more questions, which I suggest you might want to ask yourself and give serious thought to the answers.

What changes would I like to see in the world?
What social problems give me the greatest concern?
How would I like to make a difference in my family/neighborhood/community/world?
Are there any organizations I could support that are affecting these kinds of changes?
How do I want the world to remember me after I’m gone?

Your legacy need not light up the sky. It need make only the slightest footprint in the sand. All that matters is that your legacy reflects your values, makes you proud, brings you pleasure, and inspires or improves something or someone else.

Have you given any thought to how you’d like to be remembered? Tell me about in the comments below.

Comments & Feedback


Diana

May 24, 2023 AT 1:52PM

It is of great sense and even if no money value transition with intention can probably erase transmissions we received from the past. We need the intention to transmit.
Thank you Barbata for this philosophic thème for discussion.

Lisa

May 25, 2023 AT 6:11AM

My husband’s friend died in hospice early this month. Hospices are a great charity to give to, because they rely on public funding, and these angels make the end of people’s lives as comfortable and joyful as possible. He got to spend his last few days in a beautiful garden listening to music.

I think I will probably be remembered as a bridge between East and West culture, as that’s what I’ve dedicated most of my life to. However, I think I’m just satisfied just making someone feel good on some level during some point of knowing them. And if not, I hope it was a lesson learned on how not to treat someone.

Julie Bruns

May 26, 2023 AT 6:45AM

I have always worked to prove my worth. I love inspiring others and showing them what’s possible. While I worked, I was a mom to two wonderful boys who are now growing into men. I always thought my legacy would be my work (and I’m very proud of my book and podcast). Though they will be there for decades to come, inspiring others, my true legacy is raising two amazing human beings with my husband. As you wrote, Barbara, “All that matters is that your legacy reflects your values, makes you proud, brings you pleasure, and inspires or improves something or someone else.” And surprisingly, mothering has been that for me, alongside my work. I didn’t see it that way initially. But now, it’s the truest thing I know.