WHAT IS YOUR LEGACY?

 

When we think of leaving a legacy behind, we think of something physical: money, land, a house, or perhaps some kind of creative work. It could also mean taking stock of your accomplishments and disappointments in the hope that you’ve created some kind of blueprint for your children to follow. Or perhaps you might be of an age when you start looking back at missed opportunities that you’d like to revisit – that thing you wanted to do as a child but someone told you it was a waste of time.

When I started to think about what kind of legacy I’d like to leave behind, my first thought was my book. Even as a teenager, I dreamed of one day writing a book so that I could leave something of value behind – be remembered, if you will. That’s what we all want isn’t it? To be remembered when we’re gone. Now that I’ve already written two books, what now? Then I got to thinking that maybe the books I worked so long and hard for, weren’t enough. But if not that, then what would be enough?

MY LEGACY:

That’s when I started to think about a meeting I had with a young man who has now become a friend. When I met him, he was signing copies of his book after giving a motivational speech about realizing your full potential. In my book he wrote words to this effect: There’s a light in you. Don’t let the light go out. As I thought back on this, I began to wonder, “What is the light he saw, and where did it come from?”

HOW YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD: 

We’re often called to do good things for people, and we’re happy to do them. In fact, I think it’s good for us to do them. But they are outward things. What about the inner work that needs to be done before we leave this world? You may not be aware of it, but if each and every one of us worked towards being a better person, we can change the world. And by that I mean doing that inner work I’m speaking of: Working through our feelings about the past. Trying to do the right thing. Spiritual study. Being honest with ourselves. Changing how we look at the world. Choosing love instead of hate.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT:

Have you ever heard the term, “Be careful what you think about, you just might get it?” Turns out its true. The things that you think about become your reality. You see, thoughts move energy. Energy doesn’t care what kind of thoughts you have. It will respond either way. So if you think negative thoughts all the time, you’ll get negative results. If you think positive thoughts, you’ll attract that instead. So if you sit around thinking, “Poor me, I’ll never amount to anything.” Chances are, you won’t.

Joining a spiritual book study 20 years ago was probably one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. Up until that point, I’d lived life on the edges, afraid to fully immerse myself in its waters. Within the first year of studying the works of Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, I started to see the world from a different perspective. It was like someone had given me the answers to all the questions I’d ever had about the universe up until this point. I started to attract a different kind of person into my life. Opportunities came my way and the universe brought people into my life who helped me accept these opportunities. My life has never been the same since. I began to live all that I’d learned and shared it with others. When friends came to me for help with something, it felt like the response was given to me from somewhere else. I was more in tune with the universe.

LEGACIES ARE FOR THE LIVING:

So, when you’re thinking about leaving a legacy behind, think about how you are living in the present. Is there some inner work that needs to be done? By doing this inner work, you are creating a new vibrational energy that goes out into the world and effects change. Energy never dies, it goes on ad infinitum. So wouldn’t you like to set off a spark of good energy that not only goes out into the world like waves on the ocean and remains in the heart and soul of those you leave behind?