Parents are often told they should leave a legacy for their children. But, does legacy always mean leaving your family money? People often think of a “Legacy” as a gift of money or property but legacy also includes ideas, values and traditions received from an ancestor or predecessor from the past.
Bestow.com defines a lasting legacy in life “as the actions you take during your life and the way those actions affect how people remember you”. When people give a eulogy it is about how the person lived their life, how they gave back to their community, the ideas and dreams that they lived and the memories those left behind will hold in their hearts.
Whether you have a family, live alone or are more as a community, we all leave a legacy behind when we go. Either good or bad we all impact those that we do life with. What type of legacy will you leave behind?
TYPES OF LEGACIES
A legacy comes in many forms. Personal, family and social are three different types of legacies that you can leave for others. Your faith, values, a strong work ethic and sense of family are all pieces of who we are and are much more important than money.
Personal Legacy
Thebeaconnewspapers.com defines a Personal Legacy as “a declaration of the kind of person you hope to become, the values you wish to live by, and how you expect to impact others”. Where to Begin: Start by making a listing of how you want others to remember you. Work backwards and begin taking action steps that you get you to those goals. Check out this link for ways to add value to other people’s lives. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-easy-ways-add-value-other-people-every-day-david-br%C3%BChlmann
SOCIAL LEGACY
A Social Legacy is how you impact those in society? Do you make good choices that cause greater cohesion and participation in the social settings of your life? Volunteering, improving the health and wellness of your neighborhood are important aspects of a better social legacy. Look for opportunities to impact your local neighborhood and city. We can all leave a better social legacy behind and enjoy the improved impact on others.
FAMILY LEGACY
A Family Legacy is a hope for the future. Using your wealth for the benefit of others….. Giving to charities and nonprofits whose work you value.
Centerofparentingeducation.org defines Family Social Legacy as a “set of beliefs, values, and attitudes that are passed down from generation to generation through the messages that children receive from their parents. These then become part of the growing child’s worldview”.
Besides a worldview parents often leave material things that can be either an added value or a burden to their family. Furniture, antiques, pictures and scrapbooks of information are all things that get left behind when we pass away. But ask yourself who will enjoy these things and get the most out of what has been accumulated over my lifetime? The answer is not the same for everyone. So ask prudent questions when thinking about the legacy you will want to leave behind and plan accordingly.
Family Conversations
Have a conversation with your family and find out what they value the most. Ask their thoughts on what you want to hand down. What does that look like to them?
For some it is hard to have the conversation. What is going to happen to your “STUFF” once you are gone? I mean really gone, not just moved but totally checked out. Do you even care? Would you really rather keep it all or downsize your belongings and only live with what you LOVE? Your ideas, values and how you made others feel will have more of an impact than your material possessions.
Who would have thought that legacy is so much more than money. We will all leave behind a legacy? What type of legacy will you leave for the world? Start by making your Mountain of Ideas into small Molehills to accomplish your goals and dreams so you can leave behind a Great Legacy.
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