No legacy is so rich as honesty. (All’s Well that Ends Well -- Act iii,
Sc. 5) William Shakespeare
Have you ever thought about life after your own? I’m not talking about
anything supernatural, heaven, or the afterlife. I’m talking about the
impression you leave behind after you are gone. It’s an unavoidable truth that
one day each of us will draw our last breath and part from this world. In a way
it makes all that we do and all that we say that much more poignant and
precious, because we only get one chance. Think for a moment of what life would
be like without you. All of society will roll on just as it has before you,
only now, if you’ve done it right, you’ll have left a mark that is immutable and
distinctly you. I think leaving a legacy of good behind is vital.
For argument’s sake let’s say we all have 100 years of earthly life
given to us. What will you do with that time? Each life is different and unique
and the choices we make mold and shape that life and us into the individuals we
all are. Some of those choices are good, some bad. What we do with those lives
is entirely up to us. There are those who are self-centered and egotistical,
searching only for things that make themselves happy. There are those who
strive for altruism and look out for others, doing whatever they can to better
the lives of those around them. Many of us fall somewhere in between, which is
to say we try to live good lives and occasionally put ourselves first in the
pecking order of life. Now that’s not a bad thing because if you can’t take
care of yourself you can’t take care of anyone else; it’s the balance between
selfishness and givingness that’s the key. We can’t all get everything we’ve
ever wanted, that’s just unrealistic and if you devote your life to acquisition,
whether it be for fame, fortune or power, you may very well achieve those
goals, but when it’s all over, what do you leave behind?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say what you leave behind should
be a positive thing. Although, it might be hard to say exactly what counts as
valuable in a subjective sense; one person might say a fortune left to heirs is
positive, another might say the example of a good life is better. Even others
might say the propagation of their religion or ideology is paramount. So what
is positive, and what counts as a lasting legacy of good?
My belief is that if you continue to learn and improve on the person
you were yesterday, avoid making the same mistakes, keep an open mind, learn
from other people the best you can, and never give up to apathy and despair,
your life will continue to improve. Striving to an ideal is great so long as
you only compare yourself to what you have achieved, not what you think you
should be. We all know no one is perfect, but continual self-improvement is an
example everyone that knows you can take with them and emulate, as well as pass
on to others.
Over the course of a lifetime, you can make a difference. If you
continually fail, try another approach, seek advice, model yourself after those
who have succeeded and keep going. If you only have 100 years to make a life
worth knowing about, each moment is precious, but they are also opportunities
to reassert yourself and move forward. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth
it. Think of it this way, if your life was a book, would anyone want to read
about it? I for one want to leave behind a best seller. What about you?
Thanks for reading. Questions and Comments are welcome.
