Are you Living your Legacy?
Before my grandfather passed away, he drafted up a kind of last letter to his loved ones with a few memories.
I have been asked to put down my philosophy, he wrote.
Be modest about your accomplishments
There is no substitute for hard work
Share your time with others
Be decisive
Remember, we live in a globally dependent world
Be as generous as you can afford
These are the rules I have followed to some success.
I treasure this document. His legacy.
It means more to me than any monetary inheritance he left behind.
Our legacy is how people remember us.
The wisdom and mark we leave behind.
Today, I want to talk about how to define and document your legacy.*
And—most importantly—how to live it.
(*Read to the end for an exciting announcement on how we can help you define and document your legacy.)
WHAT IS THE LEGACY YOU WANT TO LEAVE?
Before you can truly live out your legacy, you have to know what you want it to be.
I always recommend setting aside some intentional time and space to ask yourself a few questions. Make a date with yourself - or your partner - to consider:
What do you hope people will remember about you?
What do I want to be remembered for?
What do you believe in?
What do you want people to learn from you?
How do you want to be living?
If you had one day left, what would you do with it?
Who are the important people in your life?
If you had one more day with them, what would you tell them?
Write down or record your answers as you move through these questions.
DOCUMENTING YOUR LEGACY
Once you’ve defined the legacy you want to leave, it’s time to document it.
I believe writing things down has power and impact on many levels.
When you articulate something clearly, you put it out into the universe and it’s more likely to manifest. (That might sound a little woo-woo, but in my experience, it’s true.)
There’s also accountability. Once you’ve written things down and shared them with the people around you, you’re accountable.
Finally, being able to pass down your legacy in a tangible way is the greatest inheritance the next generation could possibly receive from you (as I did from my grandfather and other ancestors who took the time).
You can document your legacy in a letter - which records what you want to say to your loved ones.
Or in a book, which may be a more collaborative project between you and your family. In a book project, your kids have the opportunity to ask you questions they have and would love having your answers to hold onto
You are not going to be around forever.
And even while you’re here, there may be times that your children and grandchildren may not feel comfortable talking to you about the things they are going through. If they have your wisdom in their hands, they can always call on you.
LIVING YOUR LEGACY
There was an article written about my grandfather regarding his time as the CEO of a big corporation.
The article talked about how my grandfather spoke to everyone—be it a fellow CEO or the janitor—with the same compassion, genuine interest and kindness.
I think about that article all the time. And not only because I too aspire to treat everyone I interact with as equally important.
But because it showed me so clearly that my grandfather lived the philosophy that he wrote down for us many many years later.
“Share your time with others.” That’s exactly what he did.
I continue to draw inspiration from this.
The most impactful element of defining your legacy
is actually living it.
The process of defining and documenting can help you identify gaps between how you hope to be living - and how you are actually living.
Once you see those gaps, ask yourself: What’s one real, measurable, achievable step that you can take to live closer to the legacy you’ve laid out for yourself?
Only if we walk our talk, will our legacy be remembered the way we hope it will.
INTRODUCING LEGACY BOOKS
While my grandfather had a penchant for writing down his learnings and legacy (he also wrote a book about his life), I am not so sure my parents, who remain extremely busy and active in their community and issues they care about, will sit down to write a book any time soon.
I have learned so much from my parents, and they have told me so many stories over the years — I want to capture what I know in my heart and head for my kids, and their kids.
My sister and I decided to work on a legacy book for them. We engaged the Northbound team to help us gather stories, photographs, their philosophy and values, tributes from family and friends, and create a keepsake book.
I’m very excited to announce that we are now offering these books to you.
These books are going to be beautiful, meaningful, and one-of-a-kind.
We have two books to tell you about. Both will be professionally designed, and brought to life with pictures, stories and any other interesting visuals or documents you may have.
Legacy Books will document your philosophy, your values, your learnings, your hopes for future generations, as well as the stories that defined your life. We’ll do interviews with you and your friends and family, a process that we hope has as much impact as the final product.
Tribute Books are a one-of-a-kind gift. We’ll reach out to family and friends of your subject to compile memories, thoughts and meaningful notes. This is your chance to show someone what they mean to you and the world.
We can also create a custom book for you and your family. Whatever you envision, our team will make it happen.
Please reach out to me or Samantha if you have questions! Or fill out our intake form here.
