Synopsis:
Traditions of legacy have shifted from what material possessions we leave behind to focusing more on the strength of our connections to the world around us.
Total Words
Reading Time in Minutes
7
Key Takeaways:
- Legacy can be seen in broader terms than just material possessions.
- Generational legacies help us navigate the world.
- Legacy feeds into purpose and meaning in our lives.
- While we may never know our legacy, thinking about it may help us direct our present lives.
About Catriona Healy:
I am a recently retired special needs teacher. I am looking forward to my first Congregation this year!
Contacting Catriona Healy:
You can connect with Catriona via email
By Catriona Healy
People often think of a “legacy” in terms of money or property left in a will, or passed down through generations.For many of us, the word ‘legacy’ suggests the tangible remnants of a life lived: wills, bequests, money, property and other material assets left to next of kin. This understandable interpretation frames legacy within the narrow confines of financial and physical inheritance. Rooted in centuries of tradition, it quantifies the worth of a legacy by the sum total of a person’s assets. This notion is important for the welfare of loved ones, of course, but it represents a fraction of the broader and more profound scope of legacy.
Historically speaking, legacies have been left by individuals from all walks of life. In the arts, figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Frida Kahlo bequeathed works that have never stopped inspiring awe. Their creativity and vision transcended the boundaries of their time into the present day and will endure long into the future. Scientists such as Marie Curie and Albert Einstein altered the course of history with their discoveries, leaving legacies of knowledge that propelled humankind forward.
In public service, leaders and activists like Mahatma Gandhi and Rosa Parks showed how dedication to a cause can ignite social change, their philosophies and actions laying the groundwork that subsequent generations have built upon.
For every monumental contribution that shifts the course of history, however, there are thousands more quiet and everyday acts that help shape a closer, more connected, and more informed world. Charity volunteer work, parental sacrifices, the empathy of a good Samaritan, business mentorship, the choices of the environmentally conscious and the actions of those who support small companies and local artisans … Such acts might seem modest, but each one builds a different kind of legacy – a legacy that goes beyond material wealth to impact or inspire others.
Some of the most enduring legacies are rooted in the values, wisdom and knowledge that each generation passes to the next. The values instilled in us by our forebears – integrity, compassion and respect, for instance – serve as our moral compass, influencing our decisions and actions. This transfer of ethical codes and beliefs is a subtle yet powerful form of legacy.
Similarly, the wisdom and knowledge of our ancestors helps us to navigate the complexities of modern life. Their narratives serve as records of events, encyclopaedias of information and repositories of emotion, thought and experience. They offer insights into challenges and triumphs, failures and achievements, and moments of doubt and pain, and they too are a crucial aspect of legacy.
Perhaps the best way to think of these intangible legacies is as invisible threads that connect the generations and form the backbone of our families and societies. They provide the stories, the knowledge and the guiding principles that inform, inspire and shape us. They offer a sense of identity and belonging, and they help us to understand where we came from. As such, it is difficult to overstate their importance.
This sharing of values, wisdom and knowledge can take many forms, from oral histories passed down within families to written memoirs that capture the essence of an individual’s life. Whatever form it takes, each narrative contributes to the tapestry of human experience and is a vital part of the sharer’s legacy. It serves as a reminder that everyone has a story worth telling and a unique contribution to make to the collective memory of humanity.
There is a universal longing in all of us for purpose: We want our lives to have meaning. We want to leave a legacy, make a name for ourselves, and leave a lasting imprint on the world. Our lives are unique and precious, and our legacies reflect the love we shared and the positive impact we aim to leave behind.
How do I want to be remembered? This question seems self-focused. Contrarily, this question actually challenges us to consider others more frequently. We want to be remembered for the way we make others feel and how we treat those around us.
My life and impact is not about me. They are about everything I could do for someone else.
Why is it that we still grapple, as humans, with building our own legacies? Maybe it’s because the people before us have legacies and we feel we need something that will withstand time similarly. Or maybe it’s because we don’t want to fade as we move on, because we’re afraid of being forgotten.You hope your life mattered, although a lot more modest of a legacy, your hope is that you left a footprint that will be remembered by those who loved you.
I am not sure who said “You only live as long as the last person to remember you”.
Is it true that to help overcome the fear and anxiety of non-existence, we must create not only meaning in our own lives, but also a means of existing as long as we can.
The notion of building a legacy is daunting because we frame it in terms of what we leave behind:the final tally of our accomplishments netting out as the inheritance we leave behind. Legacy centers, rather curiously, on the reputation of the self after death. It is primarily this aspect of legacy (how others will regard the self once that self ceases to exist, and why this is of particular concern to the living) that has taken up most of my time in thinking about this year’s submission. It is unclear to me why we should care how others will view us, or our life’s work, after our consciousness expires. And yet, the desire and motivation to leave a legacy, even among those like myself who do not believe in an afterlife, seems to have a powerful influence on our lives.
William James said: “The greatest purpose of life is to live it for something that will last longer than you.” I can certainly get on board with legacy being tied to purpose and meaning in our lives. Making meaning is not an optional activity in which persons sometimes engage; it is part of what it means to be a human being.
In other words, we are fundamentally meaning-making creatures, meaning takes shape in the stories you create about life, yours in particular. Meaning also involves a paradox: at one and the same time it involves living and thinking about living.
Legacy can thus be seen as the sum of the personal values, accomplishments, and actions that resonate with the people around you. It’s how you make a difference in the world.
In this way leaving a legacy isn’t a matter of choice. Legacies are a part of the cycle of life. But managing the legacy you leave behind means first understanding your core values.
Your positive impact will ripple far beyond your tenure when you connect, develop, and inspire.Even casual interactions can have a lasting legacy as the kindness, encouragement and understanding that you show to others ripples outward and touches lives in ways that you might never fully comprehend.
The essence of legacy, therefore, lies not solely in the achievements that we amass or the wealth that we accumulate but in the quality of our relationships, actions, choices and behaviours. It’s in the smiles we share, the support we offer and the wisdom we impart.
Having retired from teaching a couple of years ago I do sometimes wonder what is now left of the impact I made in the school I spent many years working in. No doubt, some students and parents may still remember me fondly and perhaps some staff members will speak about certain changes I tried to bring about. But the bare truth is that everything there ticks on without my input- nobody is indispensable, no matter how hard we work or how many years we give to a school or a company or any place of work. I think I have made my peace with that fact.
Worrying about my legacy in terms of my career seems futile…. the truth is that even legacies are fleeting. Time will eventually erase whatever memories exist, even the warmest ones. None of this is a bad thing, and I do not believe people’s lives and accomplishments are therefore diminished.The truth is, legacies are formed while you’re alive — and the best way to leave a legacy is to live it, day by day. The good news is, a lot of that legacy-building can happen in tiny little daily actions. Every day offers new opportunities to craft a legacy that is rich with meaning and purpose, to influence and inspire, to strengthen relationships and to make a difference that echoes into the future. Carrying out simple acts of kindness, advocating for change and living in a way that respects the wellbeing of others will have ripple effects that extend far.
So, engage with your family, your friends and your community; share your knowledge widely; make a start on the building project you’ve been delaying. Whatever actions you take, be a force for positivity in the lives of those around you.
Live now. Do all you can now. Be the best you that you can be now. Share all you that you can now.
Consider the question of personal legacy as more than just about being remembered, because by answering it perhaps you will find out what you want your life to mean to you in the present. Legacy is really about life and living. It helps us decide the kind of life we want to live and the kind of world we want to live in.Legacy doesn’t have to be grandiose or public. It can be found in the lives you touch, the relationships you nurture, and the impact you have on others, whether that’s through your work (paid or not), community involvement, or personal connections.
