Your legacy is so much more than the number of people who know you, the level of success you attain, the amount of money in your bank account or the things you leave behind.
For too long, we have viewed legacy in terms of status, wealth or recognition, but legacy is much more intricate and impactful than that, and that’s why it’s not what you think.
The true definition of legacy.
Legacy has traditionally been referred to as the money or property someone left to their family or to the causes important to them. That definition of legacy also included people who have made a massive change in the world.
But today, the definition of legacy has expanded into something we can all use to create lasting impact.
Many people don’t realize that you live your legacy every day. It is created in the small moments you have with others, the decisions you make and the actions you take. Each one of these things gives you a result and that result shapes your legacy.
Your legacy is created every day, with every heart you touch.
This is why it is so important to think about how you consistently treat people in your interactions, how you communicate with them, what you do to mentor the people around you and the way you serve and support others.
Your legacy can be centered on your:
- Family
- Friends
- Coworkers
- Community
- State
- Country
- Or for others around the world
No matter how big you want your circle of influence to be, every act of support matters because your choices can create a compound effect, spreading much further than you think. When you help someone in your circle, that impact can ripple outward, passing from person to person as they pay it forward.
This is why your legacy is the sum of the actions you take over your lifetime and why we can consciously use our actions to build a powerful one.
How do you build a powerful legacy?
Legacy is built in small moments over time, and if you want to build a powerful legacy, you must start by understanding what is important to you and then consistently take daily action toward it.
To do that, it is important to explore how you want to make a difference and who you want to do it for.
It is important that you do this exploration with inward reflection and honesty. . While family, friends and societal expectations can be important, if you follow what someone else thinks you should do, it will not resonate as deeply, and you might not make the kind of impact that is truly meaningful to you.
When you go inward and follow what is in your heart you will build a powerful legacy and a life that is deeply fulfilling.
To create your meaningful, lasting impact, consider:
- Your values. Your values guide you every day, whether you realize it or not. When you are out of alignment with them, things will feel off. When you are in alignment, everything flows and feels great. This is why it’s important to decide which values matter most and define each one in your own words, expressing exactly what it means to you. That kind of clarity will help you stay in better alignment with them.
- What your values look like in action. It is not enough just to have a definition of your values to create lasting impact. To truly live them, it’s important to understand exactly what they look like in action. Then you will know if you are acting in accordance with them or not. It also makes it easier to bring them to life in your interactions, behaviors and decisions, as you define your legacy through them.
- Who are the people and causes that matter most to you. Some people want to build their legacy by serving and supporting their immediate family members. Others wish to impact their community. There will be some who are driven by injustices and want to make changes in the world because of them. And some who wish to educate others so those people can develop themselves personally and/or professionally, helping them make their difference in the world. No matter which you choose, every one of these things matters.
The legacy meaning in life will be different for each and every one of us. What is not different is the fact that living your legacy requires you to be intentional with your actions. The more conscious and intentional you are, the easier it will be to build the legacy you want.
Make it a habit to:
- Set your intention and your focus for the day
- Consciously take the actions that support your definition of legacy
- Develop yourself in ways that will help you expand your legacy
- Review your day before going to bed and celebrate how you brought your legacy to life
These habits will help you keep your legacy front and center everyday.
Why legacy requires conscious choices.
You really have to know what that means to you and consciously make the decisions and take the actions that reinforce it daily.
This is why it is so important to ask yourself:
- If nothing changed moving forward, what legacy would you be building?
- Does that make you happy?
- What do you want people to feel after interacting with you?
- Are there people you are impacting right now without realizing it?
- What’s one thing you can do to be more conscious of your legacy and the choices you make each day?
Sometimes it can be difficult to see how to change your perspective to redefine your legacy when you want to take it in a new direction because you are used to doing things in a certain way. But doing the same things won’t bring a new legacy to life, and there are many aspects to consider if you want to make your legacy truly impactful.
This is why working with a Master Mentor who focuses on helping others build their legacy can make the difference you need to redefine yours.
A legacy-mentor will give you the right kind of guidance to get to the heart of what really matters to you. Once that is done, they can also help you see how to do things in new ways to expand your legacy and they can introduce you to the people they know, making it easier to consciously build your legacy and create lasting impact in the world.
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