Footsteps

What comprises the legacy you leave behind ? People don’t think about this enough in my opinion. The standard statement that we borrowed the world from our children is not good enough. It falls short of making people think hard about their legacy. What then is legacy and why should everyone think about it ? 

Strictly speaking legacy means some money or wealth left behind in a will. I would expand the concept and adjust it a bit. I agree to wealth but not necessarily in monetary terms, and I would add “impact” . Impact - sounds grandiose, but when you think of it; It is not. A measure of impact is done over a long period of time. For example I would have never known the depth of impact my teachers and schooling had on me while I was in school  it is now some one and a half score years later that I understand the impact. 

There are essentially two ways to live life .. one which is like walking on sand; a  small wave will erase the very existence of the footsteps . The other is to have a lasting impact. Both systems are accepted and some philosophical constructs are based on least impact I.e foot steps in sand. In reality though philosophical constructs based on least impact are not easy to follow. Trying to reduce the impact is not the answer. Ensuring that it is a positive impact for your family, society is more important. I don’t know what my impact is or will be but do try to ensure that I have a positive influence on my children, and a positive influence on people I work with or students I have taught and mentored . The “positive” is a point of view and as I grow older and hopefully wiser the points of view might change. What was and is positive might in the future be negative. Learning and understanding what impact my thoughts and actions have on others is something that I am very conscious about. I get it wrong many times but then failure is a path to learning. 

When you think of it - there is no one who has ever lived that has not had any impact; they might be nameless now, however their actions and or inaction has directly contributed to you and your very existence. One could become nameless but the impact would always exist. I would prefer to be nameless but have a lasting impact that ensures a legacy. 

C