The thought of consciously building a legacy naturally turns some people off. This is because many assume building a legacy means you think you are so important and special that you are better than everyone else.
I agree that such a sentiment would be pompous and absurd. That is why to me, building a legacy is not about seeking praise, it’s not about you.
Often people equate the concept of legacy with outward shows of greatness or personal promotion. Some people think that if someone is actively building their legacy it is because they want their own version of the Lincoln memorial to be built. This of course is ironic because Lincoln never imagined his memorial would be built…he simply did great things that caused others to want to memorialize him. If someone is building their legacy just to be remembered or praised after they are gone they’ve missed the whole point. Building a legacy is not about you, it is about the effect you have on others.
The goal of legacy building should be to produce a greater measure of positive effects into the world. One’s legacy should be measured, not by how many people know their name, but by how many people’s lives are better because that person lived.
An example:
You may be familiar with a video that gets passed around social media fairly often. It is of an unsuspecting Nicholas Winton sitting in an auditorium unaware that he was the guest of honor. He was surrounded by hundreds of people he didn’t recognize, because he hadn’t seen them since he helped rescue them from Nazi Germany when they were all small children. Nicholas left an amazing legacy. In his older years, after his heroism became public knowledge, he was given many prestigious awards, including being knighted by the Queen of England. He didn’t do the things he did so that he could receive those awards and recognition. He had no intention of seeking praise. In fact, many decades passed before anyone really knew his story. Although he never sought praise, he still did things and deliberately made choices that created an incredible legacy. That’s what legacy building is, doing things that make the world a better place.
In Sir Winton’s case, as in most people’s, doing good, helping others, and making the world better are simply natural actions. If this is the case then why is legacy building even necessary? My feeling and belief is that deliberate, focused, action is more effective, consistent, and productive than unplanned action. Much good is brought about by the actions of people with pure hearts, but how much more good could be produced when there is focused and conscious effort to build a legacy of good? I believe much more.
I believe that “casual goodness” can only go so far and that a focused desire and action to build a legacy will produce unmeasurably more positive results for individuals, families, and communities.
Legacies come in every form. You can focus on and build a legacy regarding sound financial practices that will give your posterity or others greater opportunities. You can focus on and build a legacy of health, education, kindness, emotional strength, or any other desirable quality which will benefit yourself and others. While legacy building is all about others, the process also benefits yourself greatly. Not in praise or other shallow so called rewards, but in greater personal capacities, contentment, and satisfaction.
You can focus on and build a legacy of health, education, kindness, emotional strength, or any other desirable quality which will benefit yourself and others.
What legacy do you want to build? How can you put those who come after you in a better situation than you started in? Not for your own praise, but for the benefit others. Building a legacy is not about you…but it is up to you to make happen. You will leave a legacy. What kind of legacy you leave is up to you. You can passively live your life and let a shallow legacy emerge, or you can choose to consciously build a powerful legacy that improves the lives of your loved ones and even more. I invite you to take the latter path. You can start by simply thinking about your legacy. What do you want it to be? How can you make it happen? Then, start taking action. If you are going to leave a legacy, you should take control of it and make it the best it can be.
