Today let’s chat about Legacy. Leaving a legacy. Now, most people when they hear the word Legacy, think a dynamic individual, wealth, authority, and power.
That’s not so....everyone, leaves a legacy, whether we’ve planned to or not.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, said it best. He said, “the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
So let’s chat today about leaving a legacy! How do we create a legacy! How do we leave behind something to be remembered by.
The biggest mistake you can make is selling yourself short and not realizing your worth. Telling yourself that you do not have this exciting life, or that no one wants to follow in your footsteps.
Did you forget how good you are listening to your friends and motivating them when they are down? How about always seeing the good in others or the fact that you find a solution in the shortest time?
No don’t tell me it isn’t the same as leaving an “empire” legacy, whether it is a mini-me, a partner, or a colleague depending on you to show them a way, YOU ARE MAKING AN IMPACT.
Stop playing small, remember, what we whisper to ourselves echoes in our reality.
So, let’s take it back a bit. Before we get into the How to.
Most people tend to think that Caregivers, Life Coaches, and Mentors are always on top of the world, strong and ready to conquer the world, sharing a legacy of upbeat motivational hope for the world, but let me share with you some of my highs and lows.
Before I really truly knew who I was and what were my core values, I found myself searching for fulfillment, changing from one job to another, adopting an imposter syndrome, and always looking for external validation. What didn’t help is the fact that I am an over-thinker, hyperactive energetic individual who battles to focus on one thing at a time.
Being all over the place with ideas, running away or shall I say hiding from my past, etc, I found myself controlled by my emotions rather than controlling my emotions.
Fast forward to the point where I decided to find my purpose and explore my own personal journey of knowing who I really am...
In this process, I have learned so much about myself and day by day I started to like myself more and more. As the days became years, I started to achieve things I set out to do. I am now a Master Life Coach, Master NLP practitioner and I am blessed to see how people’s lives transform, relationships flourish and foster, and successful career paths take shape.
That is leaving a legacy, isn’t it? But wait, I am not done yet...I want to get back to the way we think that we are always in control and having everything worked out for us...remember I said I am an overthinker, hyperactive, etc...So every now and then, fortunately, a lot more then than now...I find myself going down a rabbit hole of insecurity, doubting if anything I do is making an impact, and before I know it I have so much self-doubt that I battle to even convince myself to continue doing what I know I am good at.
On days like these, I really have to work hard to counter my thoughts and not just give up and spiral into doing nothing at all...
As a Fybromyalgia conquerer, I have my odd days, where my health dictates the way I will have to run the day, whether it is taking a go slow day or worse call it a day at 8 in the morning and get back into bed to recover from a flare up. So there are challenges that present themselves, that need to be managed too.
Can you see, having challenges, maybe an illness, battling with focus, is NOT a reason to think we are not good enough to leave a legacy, every one of us is fighting battles no one knows about.
Lastly, before we dive into how to create a legacy, I want you to think about the people around you, those who depend on you, to show up, those we admire you, and those who love being around you...you have the opportunity and ability to leave aa legacy for every one of those individuals.
So, how do we do it? How do we create our Legacy?
Live a life of joy, serve in ways that bring you joy... angry unhappy people leave sad legacies of resentment, disappointment, and loss.
Be mindful of your impact on others. Notice the things where you make the biggest difference, and then do more of that.
Know yourself and then show up as yourself maxed with your talent, strengths, and skills.
Do what matters now...LIVE IN THE NOW...before you know it you have come to the end of your life and always lived for tomorrow without making an impact today.
Seize the small opportunities, stop waiting to make a difference, make the difference in the small stuff, and the big ones will follow at the right time.
Start building your legacy with those closest to you, they need you the most.
Always show up as your best, whether it is at work or in your personal life. You owe it not only to yourself but to those around you.
Change your focus from being successful in making an impact, to serving, showing up, and being YOU.
Have fun, be you. Stop obsessing. Build a legacy, enjoy the process and create memories with those around you.
Lastly, shift the focus away from your legacy, and shift it to those around you, serving them, creating an environment of safety and love.
It might sound overwhelming right now, but don’t force yourself to go at all 10 pointers today, start small, just be you and slowly but surely add to your lifestyle and way of living, and before you know it, you have secured a legacy and attributes that people will honor long after you have left this earth.
Just one last thing, before I close off for today. So after you’ve done all you can to build your Legacy, how will you know what impact you’ve made?
As much as we want to know we make an impact and are creating a legacy and we want to be recognized, we have to ask ourselves, am I being the person I am for others and external approvals, or am I doing what I am doing for who I am and to pass the baton of love, hope and security to generations to come?
That's right, we do these things because this is who we are.
Our legacy is the result of who we choose to be and make a difference in this world.
Thank you once again for joining me today, if you enjoyed this session as much as I did, please hit the like button, share it on your platforms and I’ll see you again next week.