Blog Post: What Legacy Will You Leave?

Some may leave large amounts of money to charity or other worthy causes. Some may leave a family business that has grown over the years. Some may leave great values such as high integrity, perseverance or other qualities. Some may leave a wealth of knowledge about family history or roots. Some may leave photographs that were hidden in boxes in the back of the closet and few people know the stories behind the photos.

Do you realize we will all leave a legacy of one kind or another when we die? Have you ever thought about the legacy you will leave? Will that legacy be something positive that will live on for years to come?  Is it something you will be proud of? Or will there be negative remarks or actions associated with the legacy you leave?  Will your legacy be intentional or unintentional?

I believe every one of us has a responsibility to leave a legacy he/she can be proud of.  What are the gifts you will leave behind? What is the legacy you will be remembered for?

One of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln reads: 

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”

This quote was framed and hung in a prominent place in our home while I was growing up. My father often talked about core values that would enable us to “live so that [our] place would be proud of [us].”  My father was a man of high integrity and a strong sense of responsibility for his wife and family. He was steadfast through good times and bad.  He never wavered on these issues as far as I know. In retrospect, I am so thankful for the values he instilled in me and for the legacy he left behind.

So I ask again:  What are the gifts you will leave behind? What is the legacy you will be remembered for?

If these are difficult questions to answer, talk to your spouse, significant other or a close friend.  What answers do they offer?  What clues do they provide?  Still having questions or need help working through the issue?  If so, try contacting a Personal ICF Coach.  A trained ICF Coach may help you get to the bottom of it. The ICF Coach may not tell you what your gifts are or what your legacy should be, but a coach can ask you powerful questions, reflect back what they have heard you say or help you stay focused to find the answers you are looking for.  This is yet another area that a personal coach may be able to help you.

If you know the legacy you will leave behind, congratulations! Keep focused and striving toward that goal. If you don’t know what the legacy is that you will leave behind, then you have a responsibility to identify it. The sooner you know the answer to that question, the sooner you can put things in place to ensure that it happens. Otherwise you are leaving things to chance and the odds increase that your legacy may be unintentional.  What action will you choose to take?  What do you want to be remembered for? Remember, you are the only one who can do anything about the legacy you leave behind!

Jane Emberty is a certified Life/Career coach, member of ICF and owner of Moving Thru Transition. More than 25 years of human resources management experience brings recruiting strategies to the table to help job seekers put their best foot forward. She is currently serving as the VP of Professional Development for the ICF-Greater Phoenix Coaches Alliance focusing on the New Coaches Collaborative that began in Sept. For more information contact her at www.MovingThruTransition.com