What kind of legacy are you building for posterity?
This morning I awoke feeling a little depressed for no apparent reason…which happens sometimes.
Next I became testy. Nearly everything I read, heard or saw provoked me, so I’ve steered clear of human interaction today as much as possible. (I always do this when I’m in a low mood. I don’t even like being around me when I’m like this, so surely no one else would, either!)
But then, this afternoon, I revisited a film clip from HUMAN that never ceases to inspire me to “Think again. Make a new choice!” Here’s the link to the clip. It’s less than a minute long…and it will likely change your life in a positive way.
https://www.facebook.com/humanthemovie/videos/468301476675049/?pnref=story
It is, indeed, a beautiful glass. Even when it’s smudged and misjudged, it’s still a beautiful glass. Our “glass” (our world, paradigms, hopes, dreams, fears and individual realities) holds everything we love and everything we fear. Some of us consider our glass half full; the rest may consider it half empty. But we’re the ones who fill it with individual meaning and with whatever will become our legacy.
At age 64, I’ve been thinking about my legacy more than I’d like to recently. Maybe it’s what brought me awake this morning feeling more upset than uplifted.
What have I done that’s worthy of a legacy? My first thoughts include the millions upon millions of words I’ve left in writing across the globe as an author and copywriter, the number of times I’ve served others (human and animal) when it decidedly wasn’t in my best interest to do so (“no good deed goes unpunished”), and a handful of other things. I have zero doubt that when my day is done, the world will get along quite nicely without me.
I’m not leaving much of a carbon footprint, so that’s good. But I’m not sure I’ll be leaving much of a footprint of any kind, really…which doesn’t feel as good, knowing all that I’ve gone through just to get to this point in my life! It seems like a ton of struggle for negligible reward. (Admittedly, this is first world angst. I’m one of the luckiest people on the planet. My struggles pale in comparison to the vast majority of the rest of my fellow sojourners on this beautiful blue marble. But as Mark Twain was quick to point out, losing a doll is as huge a tragedy to a child as losing a crown is to a king. And as my mom was equally quick to point out when a challenge, frustration or injury befell me, “If this is the worst thing that happens to you in your whole life, you’ll be lucky.” So yes, in the grand scheme of life, I have been very, very lucky.)
I have a list of “missions accomplished” on my wall. It’s long–two columns. There are photos on different walls reminding me of special moments and special friends. I have photos of family members, beloved pets, and famous figures I’ve adored, respected and/or admired, people I wanted to grow up to be like in one way or another: DeForest Kelley, Robert F. Kennedy, Mark Twain, Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.
But then, most of the people I’ve surrounded myself with in these telling photos probably felt similarly. When asked how he would like to be remembered, DeForest Kelley candidly responded, “Well, my first thought is ‘I hope people will remember me! There’s nothing deader than a dead actor, you know!” He laughed, but he never lied when asked a question, and I know he really was wondering how memorable his legacy would be when all was said and done.
I could never forget De but some people have never even heard of him. So there you have it. That’s life…and death…and the vagaries of remembrance.
We all want to leave something memorable behind. I’m no different in that respect.
I guess what I’d most like to leave behind is affection (you know who you are if I’ve been affectionate to you in word or deed) and encouragement.
I want to tell every human being on this planet that there is only one of you and that the passion you have for what you want to do in life is there for a reason: so you’ll go out and make it happen!
Don’t let the naysayers steal your enthusiasm for the goals you set for yourself. Instead, listen to the encouragement you hear. Consciously surround yourself with encouraging people (not yes men or women–but truly engaged individuals who can see the best in you even when you think they’re imagining things). Live up to their prophecies. On days when you feel discouraged, remember their words. And remember why you started. Your WHY is your reason for staying off dead center and moving forward. Your encouragers will remind you on days when you start to question or discount yourself.
On days like today has been for me…
