As I near the end of my military journey, I often find myself thinking about the legacy that I might leave behind. And as I open a new chapter of my life, I wonder what else can I do now to ensure I leave a meaningful one when my time is over. Yes, I am relatively young, but I am well aware that I have reached at least halftime. For some reason, I have always felt a force within me that has called me to leave a legacy. This doesn’t mean that I think that I am indispensable, or much less, that I have a desire to be grandiose. I simply hope that in some way, I have had an impact; and will make a difference in my second half.
My brother and I briefly touched on legacy in our recent podcast episode called “A Roadmap for Life“, but I’ll explore it deeper. Why is legacy important to some? I think that instinctively, we don’t want to have gone through life without purpose and meaning. To some extent, it also might have to do with a desire to extend our existence once we depart. Although I can’t say that this is the case for me, I can understand that it might be an innate longing to live forever for some. To me, legacy is more about a sense of responsibility to my loved ones. The hope is that they can build upon the legacy their parents left them, as my parents have done for me. Perhaps my strong sense of duty to leave a positive legacy comes from the influence my parents have had in my life.
Even though he lived a short life, my father left a powerful legacy that has served me well throughout my life. He lived with purpose, courage, and passion. Not only did he represent service to others in life, as a veteran and police officer, but he sacrificed it in service. He was grounded in principles and driven by action. With a “can-do” attitude and a strong work ethic. He showed us that nothing was impossible, and instilled in me an appetite for self-improvement, growth, and perseverance.
Here is a small glimpse of his character: He set his mind to fly a plane and went on his solo flight after only 10 hours of instruction; it’s a good thing the FAA can’t go after him now. He taught himself how to ride a police motorcycle over a weekend; not sure DMV would approve. And in his last days, he served as a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T) team on the night shift, a mechanic during the day, and somehow, found the time to study electronics by correspondence. He certainly pushed the envelope in everything he set out to do.
I continue to be blessed to have my mother, in spite of a few scares here and there. My mother has already built a legacy that will serve her offspring, and beyond, in spades. She epitomizes courage, dignity, and service, above so many other values. Her legacy began to take shape during her early years, facing circumstances, that no doubt, would have devested others. Becoming a mother at a young age, she began to nurture seeds of love, compassion, and safety, even though her rations sometimes fell short. A loyal wife, in life and after my father’s passing, I witnessed an unwavering commitment and love for my father during calm waters and turbulent storms.
As a mother of three at 29 years old, her “knight in shining armor” was ripped from her life, and she had to raise her children alone. Nights of loneliness and despair were followed by days of courage and fight, as she headed to work and showed us her survival skills. In her fall years, always grounded in the strongest of principles, I saw her navigate her journey of faith as she discovered her truth about the life she was meant to live. Unshaken by criticism and judgment, she stood her ground and tapped into her insatiable desire to learn, burning curiosity and vibrancy for life. A kind servant and provider, she is always there when others need her the most, even if not reciprocated, she exhibits dignity and grace.
My parents did a great job creating a legacy that inspires me to live a life of purpose, growth and help others find their inspiration and path. I hope that the legacy that I leave to my children is at least half what my parents left me. It helps to imagine what I want to say when I am sitting in my rocking chair in my winter years. It will likely be a version of this:
I didn’t allow my rocky beginning to define me, limit self-growth or impact on others and in the community. I loved my family with intensity. I found opportunities in the face of adversities, always exploring what could be learned and how to grow from experiences. A life-long learner; I invested in myself and poured into others. I paved the way for others with passion, love, and kindness; when necessary, I did it with stern guidance and tenacity.
Legacy is not meant to alter the course of the Universe. Legacy is our story and the impact it might have on those we care to leave it to. In this race we call life, it is my duty to take my ancestors’ collective baton as far as I can, hand it over to the next generation, and hope that it helps them succeed in their race.
So, what are some of the practical things that can be done to begin to shape the legacy you want to leave behind? Consider these and the rest will fall into place:
- Love Deeply: God, Family, Friends, and Community
- Create a written and visual Roadmap for Life that lays out a plan to help reach your goals
- Choose and prioritize values, allowing them to guide your journey
- Do hard things for the sake of learning and growing. When challenges come naturally, embrace them for there is always something to learn
- Form a circle of trusted friends or partners that add value to your life
- Share your time, awareness, skills, love, empathy, and compassion
- Find a way to capture your thoughts, lessons, and experiences beyond your time, i.e., journal, blog, podcast, or write a book