Albert Einstein reminded us, “You have to learn the rules of the game, and then you have to play better than anyone else.” Living an abundant and joyful life is an ongoing labor of love. We need to think long term. We need to innovate and improve. We need to stay on the lookout for new opportunities. We need to anticipate where the world is going and be positioned to meet it when it arrives in the future. The burden does not lessen over time; it grows as we age.
Some think, “How can I make a lot of money?” But the better way to think is, “How can I make people’s lives better?” So it can feel at times like a long and lonely journey, but there is a payoff — and it’s not power or money. God has put a desire for relationship in every one of us, a desire He intended to be met with relationships with other people, but most of all, to be met by a relationship with Him. And finally, it’s making a difference and leaving a legacy.
Many centuries ago, when observing an elderly man planting a tree, a Jewish scholar, Honi the Circle Maker (1st Century BCE), asked: “Why are you planting this tree when you know it will not mature nor blossom for many years to come, and you will never be here to enjoy it?” The man replied, “The other trees in this orchard were planted by my parents and grandparents in order for me to enjoy their shade and fruit. Now it is my responsibility to ensure that there are trees here for the generations to come, so they too can enjoy shelter and sustenance.”
Leaving a legacy means sharing our blessings with others. It means passing down our time, talents and treasures to the people we care about. We can close our eyes to the things we do not want to see, but we cannot close our hearts to the things we do not want to feel.
We all have our own definition of what a successful legacy means. In fact, we cannot not leave a legacy. Each of our desires is to leave a clear, dynamic, and long-lasting legacy. However, not all of us depart leaving behind clear and easy-to-follow footprints for our family and friends to follow. Legacy-building is hard work. More than creating fond memories and being likeable, our legacy should be one that allows the family and community to carry on when we are gone in a complete, healthy and vibrant fashion that does not leave gaping holes in the cultural fabric, or team dynamic.
Mark Twain once said, “Challenges make life interesting, however, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” A legacy is not about the roles and titles that we earn, but rather the culmination of our accomplishments and what we are able to build. Our greatness is not in what we have. It’s in what we give as we live generously!!
Pericles said, “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” It is no secret that what we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
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