When I’m gone, all that will remain is what I gave away during my life. Nothing I coveted, or tried to possess, or to keep will remain. It will certainly not remain mine. It will just be some collection of stuff, or money, for someone else to do with as they choose. I can’t take it with me.
If people remember me at all, it won’t be because of how much money I’ve made, nor because of how many of my personal goals I achieved. If I’m remembered at all, it will be because I helped people. Was I kind? Was I generous? Did I provide some important laughter or memories? Did I make people feel loved?
These things may be remembered. And I hope that they might leave positive ripples whether they are attached to me or not. And maybe the world will be better off as a whole. That’s the only way I’ll remain at all.
My best shot at “legacy” comes from making my life as little about myself as possible. To paraphrase Jesus, if I want to keep my life, I have to give it away.
The irony is that in our search for immortality, we actually lessen our own legacy. We work, save up, and accumulate wealth. What we leave behind is often called a “legacy.” Sometimes this money does a lot of good. Other times it does little more than create 2, or maybe 3 generations of “trust fund babies” who squander their lives and their wealth.
Real legacy is not about an amount left behind, but whether you passed on the values and the essence of your personality that created it. It comes from how you lived.
This is even true for someone as wealthy and philanthropic as Andrew Carnegie. Many of us have heard of him, and many more have benefitted from the money he (and his estate) donated to build libraries and other community programs. But few of us know him as anything more than, “some rich guy.” In fact, because he died in 1919, there is no one alive today who remembers him as a person.
His “legacy” is not in the amount of money he made, but in the life he lived. But for the fact that he made his fortune and most importantly gave it all away, would we remember him at all? I doubt it. Surely there are dozens of similarly wealthy people of whom we know nothing (and learned nothing!) because they tried to keep it for themselves and their own heirs.
The people worth learning from are not merely rich, but wise, generous, and kind.
If you want to be remembered, or even just have a great life, here’s what I recommend. Live courageously, in a way that inspires others. Treat others kindly, be a role model for love. Be generous, not only with your money but with your actions and words. Have great relationships, dedicate your life to serving others. Be honest, and loyal, and true.