Life offers many opportunities to shape our legacy. Our living legacy is giving the gift of us and our time while we're here on earth.
From Small Steps to Great Impact: The Vital Importance of Daily Legacy Building
“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” – Billy Graham
What is Our Legacy?
Our legacy is the direct result of the words we speak and the things we do, leaving a lasting impression on others. The cumulative impact of our words and actions on the lives of others forms an integral part of our legacy.
Defining Your Living Legacy
The late evangelist Billy Graham's quote reminds us that our legacy is defined by what we do when we think no one is watching and what others say about us when they observe us interacting with others in a social or professional setting. In short, it's our living legacy that is both appreciated and remembered during our life. We’re creating our legacy every day of our lives.
I have always been fascinated with the subject of legacy. Undeniably, this can be a very emotional topic many feel uncomfortable discussing. In my younger years, I believed the term legacy referred to giving in the form of anything handed down to family members after death; a gift of money, property, or a bequest. Without question, we can will these gifts to others in our estate. But we shouldn't minimize the importance of giving the gift of our time while we are alive.
Giving Throughout Your Life
Many individuals are adopting the practice of giving to others throughout their life. They gain a tremendous sense of satisfaction from seeing how their gift has helped to make a difference in the lives of others. Today's youth view life differently than past generations and appear keenly socially aware. Self-awareness and social awareness are both core competencies of emotional intelligence and play an integral role in developing an impactful life and living legacy, one that encourages a life of giving of oneself in support of others. I discuss this in-depth in my first book, Giving Back, How to Find Your Personal Joy and Make a Difference to Others.
How will you measure your life? Are you living your legacy? What are your thoughts about giving back to others? What do you want people to think of you – not just for what you leave or gift to others at the end of your life, but how you impact the lives of those around you at the end of today?
This article was originally published on March 17, 2018, and has been updated (July 2023).
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