I sit and think about life far too often. Sometimes this includes Mean Girls quotes, but often times deeper than that. This past week I was reminded that losing a loved one opens up countless avenues of thought. What are we doing here? Why did he have to go? Hell, who is going to remember me when I'm gone? What is my legacy? What does that even mean? How am I going to carry on the spirit of life and lessons I have learned from those that have come and gone before me? These are heavy questions that often leave me speechless and in a hurry to start a new task just to get my mind off of thinking. What even is a legacy? Who cares anyway?
The truth is, not many leave behind a legacy in the way that Albert Einstein or Rosa Parks did. Sometimes all our legacy is, is to impact one person. To change the way someone thinks or feels, to empower someone, to make a difference in the life of one person is to leave a legacy. I think it is important to never underestimate the power you have in interactions with others. You never know what someone else is going through and how thoughtful gestures or kind words can change someone's life. More so, you never know who is watching. I have gained yet another guardian angel this week that is without a doubt watching over me, but that's not the kind of watching I'm talking about. Every day, in everything you do there will be at least one person looking up to you, a random person taking in what you say and a little sister watching your actions- make it worth their time.
Exemplify the legacy you want to leave behind in everything you do.
Commit to who you are and who you want to be.
Believe in yourself and others around you.
Accept the things you cannot change.
Share your talents freely.
Love yourself and others.
A legacy is something left behind even when you are not. It is what people remember you as when you no longer have the ability to defend yourself, and it is every word and action along the way that builds your legacy. Continue the legacy of your passed loves ones in your daily life. Your whole life determines your legacy. We all want to be remembered for something, and it is this longing for definition that drives us to get out of bed in the morning, guides us to live each day as our last, and opens up a world of opportunity within our reach.
Understand, be humble, enjoy life, learn, dare to dream, inspire others, challenge impossible, sing loudly, dance wildly; define your own legacy.