What Will You Leve Behind?

​If you were to plant a sapling, a young tree, where            is the optimum location for it to thrive and flourish? Dendrology, the study of trees, tells us that the sapling grows better when it is planted in among older trees. The root of the sapling can follow the pathways created by well-established trees and embed themselves to a greater extent. In fact, with time, the roots of many trees naturally graft themselves to one another, creating a complex foundation  of mutual dependency hidden oblivious to us under the ground. The result is that stronger and firmly established trees share their resources with weaker ones such as a sapling for an overall healthier forest. And this aptly illustrates what "legacy" means of which I will share with you from an experiential and observational perspective.

​In a recent episode, we featured the life of John Wayne as the actor, the private citizen and the American legend starting by discussing his birthplace home in Winterset Iowa. He incontrovertibly had a fascinating career depicting what many would say a man's man. Whatever you may think of him, without question he left behind a legacy that is still remembered almost 50 years later. His last film (The Shootist) depicted a man grappling with mortality and it also does us well to think of what we will also leave behind to be remembered by. Incidentally, my guest, the curator, who was well acquainted with John Wayne confirmed that this last film production was not due to the nature of his eventual demise.

However, from my personal perch, the concept of legacy is about our empirical experiences that we have accumulated in our lifetime . It is a repertoire, a library,  from the past, the present, and what we are building for the future.

When we ruminate about the idea of legacy it invokes thoughts of death,  but in reality it does not have to do strictly with our demise. Being reminded of our mortality is really a good thing, because it encourages us to take stock of our life. It provides us with introspection on what is exceedingly more  important bringing clarity to how we are living our lives, whether it is a vivacious and productive life. It helps us to assess the sort of life we desire to live and the kind of world we want to be a part of. True, most of us will never be a John Wayne let alone an Albert Einstein , but that does not minimize our innate desire to create something  significant enough in our lives to be remembered and loved by for years to come.

A legacy takes many forms, such as our  children, our grandchildren, a thriving business, an authored book, a home, and it could also be an inherited core value. It is natural and perfectly understandable to wonder and ponder how others will remember us after we are gone.

We must ask ourselves how many of us are carrying on our lives that mirror all that we deeply hold near and dear? Can we say we are living with "integrity and courage?" With that said, from my perspective, principles based on our core values, assuming we have aligned our values with what has proven to work, is the legacy that presents the longest longevity when compared with tangible items that are subject to the human element and otherwise.

We want to do the best we can to carve out a legacy and this involves thinking about our life's map for guidance. If we do not have an intelligible map for deliberate  direction, we may end up going through life aimlessly and wandering like the proverbial "waiting for my ship to come in" but unbeknownst to you, you may be waiting at the "airport" hopelessly lost. From my personal observation,  some folks chart their road a little  better than others, but for the most part,  I have found that most people’s maps are insufficient and incomplete. This then, behooves us to ask ourselves, what is the most meaningful thing in my life? Of course, Each of us may answers this question differently, but if you are not certain, then, you need a serious conversation with others for the sake of clarity.

I am confident that most of us have accomplished admirable deeds along the way, but the  primary challenge is making decisions in the present, navigating this troubled society  notwithstanding which at times can be unnerving. But life is full of making small and significant choices with available information. We can never predict exactly what is in store for you and me, yet it does not stop us from living, hopefully, an exemplary life, a good and meaningful life that is a pathway for the lives of others, especially for saplings as it were.

What sets us apart from any other creature is that we consciously practice altruism, compassion love and plan and strategize for the near- and long-term future, and never from moment to the next moment. There must be structure, a weekly system, a rhythm, and a connection to something larger than life itself that defines who we are and what we are. The core values you held dear to your heart and lived by, and the favorable impact left behind by your actions will be remembered and cherished, this is truly generational wealth. You cannot put a price tag on this kind of legacy!

How we deliberately act, our mental attitude, and our interaction with people can leave an impressionable legacy not easily forgotten. It is not complicated at all, if you love others they will love you in return. The consistency of what we may call trivial things we do for others has a ripple effect and makes for an enormous impact of an everlasting memorable  heritage for posterity.

What many have done is documented their life by the photos taken which serve as a history of a person's life, providing a visual representation of a person's appearance, recorded accomplishments, and what a person valued. Pictures can be a visual autobiography  of our life if we consciously take them as we travel through life and can be enjoyed ad infinitum. So, if you want to be fondly remembered, take advantage of taking pictures as an avocation, and this will preserve your legacy.

Allow me to ask you, how is it possible that to this day Anne Frank is remembered? How about creating a journal of your experiences, your joys, your disappointments and whatever you deem significant?

If we make it a matter of habit to journal and leave it behind, family and friends will see your heart in written form, revealing your thoughts, your aspirations, and what you valued the most. Some may even be imbued to emulate your values, and the upcoming young trees will also get to know you even better by the preservation of your figurative heart in written form.

As we already stated, not all that we leave behind is in the form of an object. There are intangibles such as knowledge and skillsets that can be inculcated in others. A legacy that is built on teaching someone what helped you through thick and thin and assisted you to become successful in life is without question incomparable. Others can  adopt and make effective use of your knowledge and wisdom you left behind to better their lives, and they can pay it forward to succeeding generations. It will be a long-lasting impression of your own personal development that will serve others to be better husbands, better fathers, better friends, and it will be immensely rewarding to see your mentorship take root to thrive and flourish in others. And in turn, they will pass your sagacity, and your skills to others affirming your gift had value and this will have a ripple effect of character improvement for those who take it to heart.

What is so noteworthy, we do not have to be a movie star or extremely popular whatsoever, to leave an inheritance. In one way or another, because of our interaction we can touch others and affect their lives even if we are not so popular or have many friends.

While authoring this article, I am reminded of my Uncle Ralf who left a reputation or legacy that is not easily forgotten. When we as a family think of Uncle Ralf,, we think of his steady as she goes attitude, he would never vary in his disposition, no matter what time it was,  day or night, you could always count on him to be the same no matter what, he was always "ANGRY!" What did you think I was going to say?

Obviously, what is imperative is that we do not want to leave the wrong legacy, as my Uncle Ralf did, a negative impression that was hardly a good example for everyone who was associated with him.

It is not difficult, it is not laborious to leave an exemplary legacy, it can be automatic providing we have a passion for life, a clear purpose and understand our obligation to others.

The enjoyment of establishing our legacy can clarify the question of why we are here, it will elucidate the purpose of life giving mor meaning to our existence and will inspire you to worthwhile  goals.

Forget what may be etched on your headstone but think of what will be etched on the hearts of others. And remember, you cannot take anything with you except only what you leave behind, your legacy!