I woke up in a cold sweat with a realization of the most fundamental truth known to all of humankind:
we all die.
It was a painful realization that kept me from getting my beauty as I was met by my past, present, and potential future in a matter of a few minutes. It was an Ebenezer Scrooge moment, except Tiny Tim’s dad certainly won’t be getting a Christmas bonus from me tonight.
“Here lies [insert your name here].
Known as […].
Remembered to be […]”.
Rich, poor, black, white, death never discriminates. And with that said, the cliche stands tried and true,
“your life lives on through the memories of others.”
So that begs the question, what kind of life have you lived if the life you lived was never remembered? It was, just that, a life lived, versus what you could have, a life lived worth living.
Make sense?
It came down to two simple concepts: how you treat others and how you live.
1) How You Treat Others
I had a friend in college who was a few years older than me that everyone adored. He was a kind and compassionate person who always thought about others and their well-being.
He left a positive vibe and left people wanting more and more from the conversations he had. His laughter, lightheartedness, and overall engagement with you would leave you feeling refreshed and at peace.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and after it ended you felt warm, appreciated, and most importantly, heard?
What about the opposite?
Have you experienced someone who left a bad vibe? The kind of person you dread seeing at family reunions or maybe a work meeting?
Be mindful of the impression you leave on others by simply thinking about others before yourself. You’ll feel good, and you’ll leave others feeling good as well.
2) How You Live
Money, power, fame, all of which some would argue to be the components of a successful life. Although, if you’re a mature adult, you wouldn’t think so.
Yes, mature, humble, and realistic adult. You’ll only notice children believing that they are better than someone else because of what they have or can do. Consider the following.
Person One: a successful Exec who worked hard from the bottom up. “Success” ingredients include beachfront house, luxury cars, a second house, T.V. interviews, and Instagram fans.
Person Two: a self-made business entrepreneur who left the traditional university to pursue her passion for the culinary arts. She later was featured in magazines as her success skyrocketed as a well-respected chef amongst high-end restaurants.
Both of these people could very much call themselves a success in life. But what you don’t know is that Person One won’t shut up about herself and could care less about who you are if you’re not on her “level” of success. If you don’t have anything to give to her, she won’t pay you any mind.
Person Two, on the other hand, values the time she spends with family and friends. Given her track record, she had something to brag about, yet, she was all present with her family. Not once did she mention anything about her business and her success when I was with her.
Let’s bring it back to you.
Would it be difficult for others to say the great things you’ve done to impact them individually? What about the rest of the world?
Were you loving and other-centered?
Were you more worried about your reality show than your actual reality?
Did you sacrifice your time and energy to get to know your kids, friends, family? Or did you keep it all to yourself?
Leaving a legacy requires one simple mindset,
“It’s NOT ABOUT YOU.”
Never was it about you in the first place. You weren’t born with “special” written on your forehead.
You were a gift from God, a human given the privilege to live on Earth, another soul that gets to grow alongside the vast community of other precious beings.
Others in the past have potentially sacrificed their time and energy for you to be here. Some even have died.
Lead a life worth dying for.
Live a life to be fondly remembered.
Leave YOUR legacy.
The Quiet Onez 