Legacy: Finding Meaning in a Changing World #23 #cong24 #legacy

Synopsis:

In this reflective piece, Thabata Holistic, explores the evolution of legacy and how our perception of what it means to “leave a mark” has transformed over the centuries. She questions whether the traditional notion of legacy—defined by achievements like writing a book, planting a tree, or having a child—is still relevant today. As personal growth and authenticity take centre stage, the article invites readers to consider if they’re building a legacy rooted in their own beliefs or following a path that meets societal expectations.

Total Words

983

Reading Time in Minutes

4

Key Takeaways:

  1. Legacy is Shaped by Changing Values
    What society values in a legacy has changed over time, from power and conquest to creativity, innovation, and now, authenticity.
  2. Authenticity Over Achievements
    Legacy today is increasingly about living a life true to oneself rather than meeting external milestones.
  3. Personal Impact Matters Most
    For many, legacy now focuses on personal connections, community, and small acts of kindness that resonate beyond achievements.
  4. Align Your Legacy with Your Beliefs
    Reflecting on whether your legacy reflects your true values or others’ expectations can help ensure it’s one that truly resonates with who you are.

About Thabata Couto

Based in Ireland, Thabata Couto is a holistic therapist and yoga teacher from Brazil, deeply passionate about helping others explore their true selves. Through practices like Reiki, Access Bars, ThetaHealing, and astrology, Thabata guides clients on journeys of self-discovery, healing, and empowerment. With a warm, empathetic approach, she combines energy work with practical wisdom to inspire self-awareness, self-worth, and a deeper connection with nature and community. When she’s not guiding others, you’ll find her outdoors, swimming, kayaking, or sharing her thoughts on life, growth, and legacy on Instagram as @thabataholistic

Contacting Thabata Couto:

You can connect with Thabata on Instagram or email.

By Thabata Couto

In Brazil, we have this saying: “Every person should write a book, plant a tree, and have a child to live a life worth telling.” It’s a beautifully simple idea that suggests our legacy is shaped by what we create, nurture, and leave behind. But looking at my own life, I’m far from following this script. If anything, I could probably write a book on how not to follow the rules.

As tempting as it is to feel “behind,” I’m starting to think that maybe legacy isn’t about these milestones at all—at least, not for everyone. After all, what we view as a meaningful legacy has evolved so much over time. Legacy today is less about monuments, family lines, or climbing social ladders and more about the impact we have on the world, our communities, and on ourselves.

Legacy Through the Ages

The idea of legacy has always been a reflection of what a society values most. In ancient civilizations, a legacy was something grand and lasting—think towering monuments, powerful empires, and recorded achievements that would echo through the ages. These societies often tied legacy to power, wealth, and sometimes even conquests. The kings, queens, philosophers, and generals all left marks that the world still remembers today.

The Renaissance shifted that idea a bit, valuing artistic and intellectual legacy. People started to appreciate individual expression, creativity, and the pursuit of knowledge. Great works of art, literature, and ideas became the markers of a legacy, emphasizing originality and contributions to human understanding.

With the Industrial Revolution, legacies shifted once more, this time toward innovation and economic impact. Inventions that improved daily life, mass production, and scientific progress became the markers of a successful life. People left legacies by changing the way we live, work, and interact.

In the 20th century, we saw the rise of social movements and humanitarian efforts defining legacy, a trend that’s only grown stronger. Figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. are remembered not for monuments or empires, but for their impact on social justice and human rights.

The New Legacy: Living Authentically

And now here we are today. Legacy has become more personal and fluid, shaped by the experiences, relationships, and insights we cultivate along the way. Social media lets each of us share our unique stories and values, creating legacies that are deeply personal. More and more, people are realising they don’t need to “check the boxes” of a traditional legacy. Instead, they’re defining success by how authentically they live and the connections they create. For some, that might look like changing the world on a big scale, while for others, it’s about nurturing a small, meaningful circle or simply being true to themselves.

Writing Our Own Rules for Legacy

Back to that Brazilian saying—write a book, plant a tree, have a child. What if we did, but on our own terms? Writing a book might mean sharing lessons learned from unconventional paths. Planting a tree could mean finding small, sustainable ways to protect and connect with nature. And maybe having a child means investing in relationships where we can grow together. The point isn’t about following a set path; it’s about deciding what truly matters to us.

Is It For Me, or Is It For Them?

The question we all need to ask ourselves is whether we’re following a legacy that reflects our truth, or if we’re just trying to prove ourselves by someone else’s standards. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of what a legacy should be. But the legacies that last—those that people remember, those that matter—are rooted in authenticity. They’re built on values that mean something real to us, not just what looks good to others.

In the end, a meaningful legacy isn’t about ticking off a list of accomplishments or meeting the world’s expectations. It’s about the courage to live our truth, to connect with others in ways that matter, and to leave behind something that feels like it genuinely reflects who we are. And maybe that’s the best story we can write.

Navigating the Bizarre Realities We Live In #29 #cong23 #reality

Synopsis:

In this exploration of our reality, the article delves into the complexities of existence, combining personal experiences with broader societal observations. From discussing the mind-boggling nature of time and interconnectedness to addressing societal issues like colorism and the pursuit of self-acceptance, the piece navigates through various facets of the human experience with a blend of humor, contemplation, and relatability.

Total Words

1,157

Reading Time in Minutes

5

Key Takeaways:

  1. Weird Realities: The article begins by pondering the strange intricacies of our reality, touching on mind-bending concepts like the non-linearity of time and the interwoven nature of our past, present, and future.
  2. Social Complexities: Addressing societal challenges, the text sheds light on the pervasive and often unnoticed collective beliefs about colorism, sharing personal experiences to illustrate the impact of such biases on individuals and families.
  3. Self-Discovery and Inner Work: The author discusses the unexpected revelations that emerged while seeking personal growth abroad, highlighting the ongoing journey of confronting triggers, traumas, and insecurities and the profound impact this introspection has had on their life.
  4. Diverse Realities: Concluding with a reflection on the multifaceted nature of reality, the article emphasizes the varied perceptions and experiences each individual holds, underlining the necessity of embracing this diversity for a deeper understanding of our shared existence.

About Thabata Couto:

Thabata, a determined holistic therapist based in Ireland, is described as a force to be reckoned with. Her journey began at the age of 14 when she left her parents’ home, driven by a belief that the world held more than she could ever fathom. Always an avid learner, she pursued a career in civil engineering, yet something seemed amiss. Her focus was never profit-driven but rather centered on aiding people.

Amidst a bout of anxiety, conventional methods failed her, leading her to encounter Thetahealing® while studying under Michele and Marcelle. This pivotal moment transformed her life entirely. Within months, she found herself uprooting to Ireland, still grappling with a sense of being adrift. Despite securing a job in engineering, she recognized her true calling lay in holistic therapy, inspired by her own journey to help others in a similar way.

Thabata delved deeper into holistic studies and practices, pursuing courses in Reiki under Carlos Falcão, Access Bars with Janine Meira, Ho’oponopono with Joe Vitae, Yoga with Camila Reitz, and a myriad of others. Then, as fate would have it, a serious issue arose at her workplace, compelling her to resign. While the easier path might have led to another engineering position, she courageously followed her heart and established her own company to focus on holistic therapies.

Today, she finds deep fulfillment as a witness to genuine transformations in the lives of her clients, serving as a beacon of hope and change in the realm of holistic therapies. Thabata’s journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to making a profound difference in the lives of those she touches.

Contacting Thabata Couto:

You can connect with Thabata on Instagram.

By Thabata Couto

When I decided to pen this article, I initially contemplated diving into Hermetic laws and the different planes of existence found in Thetahealing®. However, as I delved into these ideas, it struck me that our own reality is quite the puzzle without veering into the science fiction realm.

Thetahealing®, a holistic therapy that I hold close to my heart, gave me a fresh perspective on life’s dance between past, present, and future. But when I stumbled upon the concept that time isn’t as linear as we think, I couldn’t help but chuckle and put it on the backburner, thinking, “Hold on, my mind’s not quite ready for this.”

Then, one day, while traveling back to Brazil from Ireland and jesting about “going back in time” due to the time difference, it hit me. The present, past, and future all intermingle in our daily lives thanks to those time zones. How wonderfully weird is that?

Equally bewildering is the tenacity of unconscious and conscious collective beliefs about colorism in our society. Surprisingly, many people remain in the dark about what colorism really is. It wasn’t that long ago that I had my own “Aha!” moment about this. Even though my skin isn’t super dark, having some African features meant I faced rejection for years. Folks like me aren’t often considered for long-term relationships but are seen as suitable for more casual affairs. The truly astonishing part is that my own mom went through the same before my dad’s family fully embraced her.

A sense of not being good enough haunts not only me but many others. Part of this, I believe, comes from the “tough love” approach our elders thought would prepare us for life’s challenges. “I need to be stern now to toughen you up,” they’d say. This upbringing inadvertently shaped a society that doesn’t fully understand self-love or kindness, sometimes even mistaking kindness for weakness. Feeling like I didn’t quite fit in motivated me to seek myself out by moving abroad.

The funny thing is, my quest for self-discovery led to an unexpected twist. The very issues I was trying to escape intensified abroad, forcing me to tackle my own triggers, traumas, and insecurities. It’s an ongoing journey, but working on these aspects has genuinely improved the quality of my life. What’s amusing is how many people don’t even realize they’re carrying these unresolved issues into their relationships.

It’s also quite amusing that my preference for Banagher, Offaly, over Rio earns me the “crazy” label from friends here. But here’s the kicker: people in these parts are often oblivious to the constant undercurrent of feeling unsafe, even in the supposed comfort of our homes. Waking up to gunshots nearby or having to hunker down for safety isn’t an experience everyone can relate to.

The concept of “safety” itself is a curious one. As a Brazilian woman, I’ve come to accept that genuine safety might remain a distant dream. Our society grapples with mental, emotional, and physical issues. Many of us work tirelessly just to make other folks richer, dreaming of owning a home that, in reality, belongs to the bank.

During one of my yoga classes, my teacher pointed out the need for a certain level of denial to navigate life’s overwhelming aspects. It made me chuckle, but there’s truth in it. We can’t completely ignore reality, of course. The interconnectedness of our world may sound like something out of science fiction, but the COVID-19 pandemic drove home the fact that our actions can ripple across the globe and affect countless lives.

Ultimately, we all inhabit different realities, even when sharing the same physical spaces. Despite our shared language, our unique perspectives shape how we see the world. It’s quite a head-scratcher, don’t you think? Our reality is a rich tapestry woven from various beliefs, experiences, and viewpoints, and appreciating this diversity is the key to unraveling the complex layers of our collective existence.