Live Out Your Legacy

Isn’t it funny how our life is just a walking story? We teach with stories, we sell with stories and we’re motivated by stories. Even after we are long gone our legacy is a story… a story that others tell.

I think we all want to have a legacy that outlives us, but why is it that we only think of someone’s legacy when they retire or after they die? I believe that our legacy is established throughout life. We are creating our legacy in the wake we leave as we pass through others’ lives.

If you were to leave your company today, what legacy would you leave behind? Or maybe I should ask, what stories would the people keep alive? It’s funny to me that we often think of our legacy as “the end.” Your legacy isn’t the end. It’s today! The legacy you and I leave stands based on the results of our performance and the relationships we built and impacted while there.

Here are three ways for you to begin thinking of your legacy in a proactive, present way.

Live out your legacy today.

If I want my legacy to be about impacting others, then I must make decisions daily that positively impact people. I can’t just say it. I must dedicate myself to serving others in a way that makes their time with me “worth it” for them. Your legacy is what you are known for; it’s about your walk, not your talk. It reflects what has been most important to you through different seasons in your life.

It needs to fit.

Don’t fantasize about having a legacy that doesn’t fit who you are. There’s not a “Top 10 Best List of Legacies” to choose from. It’s not a popularity contest, and if you’re not good at it, it won’t be your legacy. Your legacy is personal. It should be yours, not your friend’s or your boss’s or your mentor’s. It uniquely fits your skill sets, your priorities, and your passion.

It leaves an impression on others.

In some way our legacy will affect others. After all, it’s the people who will keep our legacy alive, not the institution. So spot check your actions and decisions and reflect how you are impacting people in a positive or negative way.

Don’t wait till retirement or “the end” to reflect on what you would like your legacy to be.  Today’s walk is tomorrow’s story that over time creates your legacy.