How do you want to be remembered when you're gone? What will people remember most about you? What legacy will you leave behind? These are much thought provoking questions to ask yourself and require a great deal of reflection. This was recently a topic of discussion among myself and other school administrators. A very eye opening topic that really caused me to reflect upon myself as a Christian, husband, father, and school administrator.
How people remember you will most definitely be determined upon how you treated them, taught them, cared for them, and/or loved them. Now, I know that from our eyes we always treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect but how do those around you feel they were treated? Their perception of how they were treated will assist in cultivating the legacy you desire to leave behind. Tavis Smiley said, "The choices we make about the lives we live determine the kinds of legacies we leave." This simple statement really puts everything in perspective concerning the choices and decisions we make in our lives.
We all desire to be remembered for our contributions made to society and to the world. For some, this is the accelerant to become successful, accomplish more, and contribute greatly to society. For others, our words, actions, attitudes, and deeds will sculpt the legacy we leave behind. Our spouses, children, grandchildren, extended family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers will be the individuals who acquire our legacy and will have the choice to share and/or follow it. Hopefully, the legacy you leave will be filled with inspiring stories, reflective thoughts, and significant experiences that will carve an unending path with no limits or boundaries for those who chose to follow.
The most important thing you can leave behind when you die is your legacy and as John Wooden says, "The greatest legacy you leave is your life, your principles, and the lives your touch." Our world is comprised of material items and all of these items can be bought, spent, tarnished, and destroyed. However, your legacy can be eternal to those that carry your teachings within their hearts, souls, and minds. Shannon Alder said, "Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you." A legacy shall be ongoing or a gift that can be continually shared or handed down to others.
Live your life preparing your legacy to be handed down to those around you. Prepare yourself for the choices you will face so you will make the right decision when the time comes. Your choices will affect the quality of your life and will most certainly affect your legacy and how you will be remembered. Ray Bradbury sums it up by saying, "It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts the lawn and a real gardener is in the real touching. The lawn-cutter might just as well not have been there at all, the gardener will be there a lifetime." So, be a gardener and cultivate a legacy of love, purpose, and encouragement don't just mow the lawn!
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