Who Is Legacy Really For? #31 #cong24 #legacy

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

1,761

Reading Time in Minutes

7

Key Takeaways:

  1. Legacy can be seen in broader terms than just material possessions.
  2. Generational legacies help us navigate the world.
  3. Legacy feeds into purpose and meaning in our lives.
  4.  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.

To what End? #5 #cong22

Synopsis:

What is the essential nature of our being?  Our purpose is to investigate the answer to this question because it is the foundation from which our understanding of reality is truly known.

Total Words

1,177

Reading Time in Minutes

5

Key Takeaways:

  1. What am I if I have no name, no history, no knowledge and no concept of the future? Our purpose is to investigate the answer to this question.
  2. Fear and desire are our two biggest barriers to freedom.
  3. Our entire reality is experienced through a series of thoughts, sensations, feelings and perceptions. Where we choose to direct out attention transforms our world.
  4. Happiness occurs only when we experience a deep and intimate connection with something greater that helps us to forget we exist.

About Zanya Dahl

I am a visual artist, working primarily in oils and specialising in figurative painting.
My focus is around the theme of connection – the absence and discovery of it. I am fascinated by how we connect within, with each other and with our environment.

When I’m not painting, I’m playing hockey, engaging in comedy improvisation, and mothering two little people. I rely on yoga and meditation to still my mind and loosen my limbs.

Contacting Zanya Dahl

You can connect with Zanya via emailInstagram and LinkedIn

By Zanya Dahl

What am I if I have no name, no history, no knowledge and no concept of the future?

When all of our thoughts, memories and personal attributes are stripped away, what is the essential nature of our being?

Let it be our purpose to find out.

There’s nothing more significant or fundamental than investigating the answer to this question because it is the foundation from which our understanding of reality is truly known.

To get to what we essentially are, we first need to free ourselves from the clutches of two specific states of mind that dominate the majority of our thoughts: fear & desire. They disrupt our acceptance of who we are or where we’re at in the current moment. They can often be two sides of the same coin:

1. fear of not getting what we desire (validation, popularity, success, wealth, security, power, knowledge, love, acceptance or belonging)

2. desire to avoid the things we fear (rejection, judgement, abandonment, loneliness, loss, pain, poverty or death)

We spend a lot of mental and emotional energy trying to anticipate and curate an invisible future that will never be known outside of the current moment. It’s futile.

The 18th century philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was woke enough to recognise how we have squandered our freedom, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”

We often try to find purpose in the life we lead to bring us towards the end goal of happiness. Fundamentally, this is what we all desire. I remember Rupert Spira commenting in an interview that happiness occurs only when we experience a deep and intimate connection with something greater than our Self – when we forget that we exist, becoming “lost in the moment”. (i.e. ‘dissolving’ in a kiss; being ‘carried away’ by a piece of music; being ‘blown away’ by a scene of immense beauty; etc.). As soon as the moment passes however, we return to our separate Self, and the happiness subsides. So we chase the next thing that will restore that happy feeling we so covet.

I began to wonder what might happen if I stopped my lifelong habit of seeking, attaining and achieving and just allow myself to be guided by something greater, something internal, that is aligned with my own authentic expression. The idea of it felt wobbly and passive. But living with my mind in chains wasn’t working either.

Contrary to what I thought, choosing to place more trust in the invisible realm of “non thought” isn’t passive – it requires presence and attention, curiosity and openness.

I don’t have to chase happiness to attain it. It arises through me when I am fully present, available and engaged.

This has become my purpose – to live more and more in the essential nature of my own being. This requires me to loosen my attachment to who I think am I and how I think my life should be. I try to focus less on the future, less on expectations of myself and of the world around me and surrender more to the flow of life. I feel my way through decisions and follow my impulses, trusting that in each step I take, life will support me.

Any time I feel myself starting to fear or desire something I don’t currently have, I think of Mark Nepo’s quote, “The flower doesn’t dream of the bee. It simply blossoms and the bee comes.”

The more of this I do, the more attuned I become to my senses, the more I feel, the more I connect with myself and everything around me, the more content and accepting I become and the less resistance and stress I encounter.

It’s not easy. I frequently get captured by my mind. But it happens less because I’m more aware of its ability to create concepts. Every concept distracts me from the immediacy of experiencing what’s arising.

It’s kind of mind-bending to acknowledge that our entire reality is experienced through a series of thoughts, sensations, feelings and perceptions. Everything is in motion.

Therefore, our most precious and valuable superpower is our attention. Where we choose to place it transforms our world.

By consciously letting go little by little, I am curious and surprised by the things I notice, by the thoughts and ideas that occur to me, by the opportunities that appear before me and by the choices I make. Overall my life is changing because my understanding of reality has changed.

In this state, there are no fears to close me off or shut me down or limit me in any way. There are no desires to be more than what I am, or to have more than what I have. There is no sense of lack and no fear of loss.

Many people accidentally discover what we truly are after a near-death experience or a life-threatening diagnosis. It can happen in an instant. A carefully curated identity falls away along with all its emotional and psychological baggage. A new lightness of being is experienced and suddenly the wonder of the world and a capacity for love and joy is magnified.

Collectively we are edging towards death – facing the threat of extinction via nuclear warfare, climate change and/or a new pandemic. Maybe that will be the time when we finally face our worst fears and realise our whole life was lived in bondage to the chains of our mind. And then and only then will we let go and enjoy the magic of our own existence while we still live.

Or we can make it our purpose to let go sooner. The moment we do, we’ll realise that there is no need for purpose because it’s a construct too.

Unlock your purpose to achieve your goals! #3 #cong22

Synopsis:

In today’s fast-moving world, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of everyday life and let your passions take a backseat. While it might be important to have a career you truly love and care about, it’s even more important to have a purpose. If you find that the things you do every day don’t necessarily align with who you are as a person and your passions, then it might be time to unlock your purpose and achieve your goals. To enjoy a fulfilled and happy life, I think everyone needs to understand our core values and beliefs about what is important in life. Unlocking your purpose is not just about finding out what makes you tick; it can also help you find fulfilment in the things that matter most to you. With some self-reflection, dedication, and practice, unlocking your purpose can be easier than ever before.

Total Words

1,154

Reading Time in Minutes

5

Key Takeaways:

  1. Start with Why
  2. Discover your values
  3. Look at your strength and skills
  4. Find out what you love to do most

About Stan McGowan

Branding and Digital Marketing expert who enjoys spending time with family & kids, doing music, photography, cooking, and swimming 😀

Contacting Stan McGowan

You can find out more about Stan on StanMcGowan

By Stan McGowan

In today’s fast-moving world, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of everyday life and let your passions take a backseat. While it might be important to have a career you truly love and care about, it’s even more important to have a purpose. If you find that the things you do every day don’t necessarily align with who you are as a person and your passions, then it might be time to unlock your purpose and achieve your goals. To enjoy a fulfilled and happy life, I think everyone needs to understand our core values and beliefs about what is important in life. Unlocking your purpose is not just about finding out what makes you tick; it can also help you find fulfilment in the things that matter most to you. With some self-reflection, dedication, and practice, unlocking your purpose can be easier than ever before.

What is Your Purpose?
Purpose is the reason why you exist. It is the reason why you get up in the morning and do what you do. It is the reason you exist. Finding your purpose is the holy grail of life; this is what psychologists, philosophers, and self-help gurus have talked about for decades. The more you learn to know about yourself, the easier and more fulfilling it will be for you to find your purpose.

Start with why.
Finding your reason for doing something can help you unlock your purpose. We naturally do what we enjoy and what we find meaningful, and when you understand why you are doing something particularly, you can put more energy and passion into it. This applies to any career or field of study. If you pursue a certain degree, you need to know why you are doing it. If you have a core desire and an overarching reason for making a particular career choice, it will help you focus on what is most important in your life. Doing what you love and what you are passionate about doesn’t just make you more productive, it also gives you a genuine sense of fulfilment. But don’t get caught up in pursuing the enjoyment of spending hours daily scrolling through social media timelines. Of course, if only it’s not what you do for a living as, for example, a social media marketer, which can also be considered as purpose, but those are rather rare occurrences.

Discover your values.
First, you need to discover your values, which are the guiding principles that you live by and are the things that are most important to you. They can be anything from having a fulfilling family life to making a difference in the world by engaging in community work or helping others. You might have certain beliefs about religion or social justice, and these can also be considered values. Understanding your core values can help you figure out what your purpose is, and having core values and a purpose in life can be an enormous source of motivation. When you know your values, making decisions that align with your personal beliefs will be easier. For example, if you know that having a healthy work-life balance is a core value, then accepting a promotion might be easier. If you have no clue what your values are, then you will have to spend time figuring them out. This could be a long and involved process, so make sure you are committed to the task. But the majority of people I know or spoke with agree that the Covid pandemic has made them rethink their values and what’s important in their lives today.

Look at your strengths and skills.
If you know your core values, you can start to look at your life and see what areas fit with these values. You can also try a strengths-based approach to help you identify your top strengths. For example, what are the things that make you feel most productive and engaged? Knowing your strengths and skills can also give you ideas about how to use them to pursue your purpose in life. For example, if you consider yourself a good public speaker, you might want to get involved in advocacy work. If you have a mathematical/analytical mindset, you might want to use those skills to pursue a career in data science.

Find out what you love to do.
This can be the same as finding out what you are good at. It can also be helpful to try different things and see what really excites you. Doing something you truly love and are passionate about can help unlock your purpose. This can also be related to your core values. For example, if you have a core value of helping others, then you can use that to narrow down what you love to do. You might love working with children or helping the elderly. You might love writing or programming. You might love playing music or singing. Use your values as a filter, and you will naturally be drawn to the things that you love to do.

Finally, finding your purpose isn’t an easy task. It may take a lot of self-reflection and soul-searching. It might even be a lifelong journey where you make new discoveries about yourself over time. However, it’s important to make unlocking your purpose a priority. It can help you have a more fulfilled and happy life. It can also help you achieve your goals and lead a more meaningful life. With some self-reflection, dedication, and practice, you can unlock your purpose and achieve your goals faster than ever before.