Making My Life A Legacy Worth Leaving
The Stamp We Leave On Others
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I’ve been thinking a lot about the legacy that I leave behind in my life. What is it that people think about when they see me or recall a memory of me? What stamp have I left in their life? I would love to say that it has always been a good one; that with the thought of me comes a sense of kindness; that my past brings a positive emotion flooding into their present. I can say with certainty that this is not always the case and this pains me. It is my goal in life to leave each place that I go better than I found it. It’s not always been a conscious goal, therefore I’ve not always done a great job at doing it.
The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self. — Dalai Lama
It is said of the Dalai Lama that when he stops to talk to you, for that moment, he makes you feel that you are the most important thing in his life. You have his full attention. That’s part of the stamp I want to leave. I also want each person to remember me with fondness and with a memory of a way that I’ve helped them or was kind, even if only for a moment. I have spent a decade trying to become a better version of myself, so know that I may not be the version that you remember me to be. I hope I am more kind, patient, mindful, and forgiving than any previous days’ version. I’m working on making my life a legacy worth leaving.
“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” — Shannon Alder
