Every birthday celebration is a great joy! We have just completed one more year with all its events. Yet we are happy to have reached the milestone. However, once we reach middle age, we start thinking differently, for we know that each year passes brings us closer to the end. We are not getting younger, and we are nearing our death. It is inevitable. As I was reflecting on my time till now, an excellent friend spoke to me about legacy. She has been telling me about that for some time now. And it’s something that has been on my mind. Today, even more so, I reflect on the years I have lived and what’s left to live. I have less to live for than what I have lived so far.
The most challenging thing for a man is to build a lasting legacy. Whatever roles or responsibilities we may have, we must be able to leave a legacy for those who will come after us.
Many of us are unaware that we have to leave a legacy. Many don’t even know or understand what a legacy is and its importance. If we don’t know or realise we need to leave a legacy, most certainly, we will not include any of the work towards that in our day-to-day lives. We will be living for the now, forgetting that there is an ‘after us’.
We have three main areas of our lives. We have our professional, social and spiritual lives. In each of them, we will occupy several roles and responsibilities. As we are not eternal here on earth, we will all die and leave this earth behind. We must realise this. The next thing to recognise and plan for is what we leave behind for our peers and loved ones. What have we built for them? What have we left so they can continue their journey?
This is legacy. Legacy comes in several forms. The most predominant one is, of course, financial. But wealth is not all. As I mentioned, we have three main spheres of our lives: Professional (Financial Legacy), Social (relational and emotional legacy) and Spiritual (Faith and belied legacy).
So, if you are young and starting your life, think about building your legacy. Your life plan should include building and working for your legacy.
After you are gone, you will still have people depending on you because you would have been part of their lives. Many will be looking back at what you represented in their lives. Many will look for how you impacted their lives and how you can continue to do it; that’s legacy.
If you died today, What will you be remembered for?
What do you want to be remembered for?
What are you planning to leave behind for your loved ones? If you have not thought of this, please, it’s time to do it; their lives will have to continue once yours has stopped. They will need to be able to learn to leave without you gradually. Without legacy, that will be very hard. With heritage, it will be much easier and less demanding, for your legacy will sustain them!
