Legacy Unplanned

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How do you want people to remember you? This question is often raised in interviews with celebrities and other public figures. But leaving a legacy is not reserved for the famous— unsung heroes leave legacies too.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the legacy my mother left behind. She wasn't known around the world, but to the people who knew and loved her—even to those who watched her life from a distance—she was a great woman whose influence lives on today. Was my mother ever formally interviewed by anyone? Perhaps not. Did she go through life consciously thinking about the legacy she was leaving? I seriously doubt it. Yet, she most certainly left a lasting impact.

That impact is evident in the lessons I teach my daughter and my students. It is felt when my siblings, my father, her friends, and her grandchildren model their lives after how she lived hers, or carry forward what they were taught by those of us who had the pleasure of knowing her. It is felt in the way her kindness is still remembered, and in the quiet fortitude that carries on through generations, shaping how we approach challenges.

Whether we realize it or not, we are all leaving a legacy. With every decision we make, every word we speak, and every action we take, we are shaping how we will be remembered. People may not always tell us, but they are watching. They see us. They hear us. Some are quietly inspired, while others are mentally taking note of what not to do, who not to be. Either way, our lives speak—through the choices we make, the kindness we show, the values we live by, and, sometimes, the mistakes we make and the harm we cause.

So, what is your life saying? What quiet lessons are you teaching just by being you? You may never sit for an interview or hear your name spoken in admiration by thousands, but you are leaving something behind. Will it be something worth following? That’s the question.

Even if you’re not planning your legacy, you’re creating one. Live with that in mind. And though we all fall short at times, let’s be intentional about doing more good than harm, so that what we leave behind is worth remembering.

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