How to live for legacy
3 principles to help you (and me) create a lasting legacy
I didn’t write this article because I’ve mastered these principles, I wrote this article because I strive to embody these principles.
I am not what I ought to be, Not what I want to be, Not what I am going to be, But I’m thankful that I am better than I used to be. -John Wooden
I don't judge myself
A few months ago, I gave the keynote speech to a group of about 400 leaders. Once I got done with the meet & greet, I called my wife. The first question she asked was, “how did it go?”
My response:
I did great!
Where there are things that I wish I would’ve said differently? Of course. Do I think I changed any lives? I have no idea. If I had an opportunity to do it over, would I do something differently? You bet.
And that’s the point. If I wanted to find something to beat myself up about, I could. But what good does that do?
I told my wife that I did great because I had given 100%. My heart & soul went into the preparation and the delivery of that keynote speech. I had nothing more to give. And to me, that is great.
I’ve found that it’s not in my best interest to judge myself. As long as I give 100% of who I am and I choose to be present in each moment, I am winning. Sometimes the results will be positive, other times, they won’t be.
I have no control over the outcome. I have ultimate control over is my intent & my effort.
I strive to be the man that I want my daughter to marry.
The two people I love more than anyone my two girls. The first girl is the woman I married. She is my heart. She is my crown. She is my provision. And, she also gave me my greatest gift. My daughter.
I have no greater desire then to see my daughter grow up to be a strong, confident, and kind human being who marries a man who is better than me. That is why I’ve made it a constant goal to become the type of man that I would want my daughter to marry.
I don’t always live up to it but I do know that I get a little closer every day. After all, my daughter will measure every man again the example I have set. It’s my responsibility to set the bar as high as a possibly can.
I also know that focusing on this part of my legacy will help me to be best husband possible for my wife, who I love the most.
Even as I write this, it makes me a little uncomfortable because I know how often I fall short of this expectation I have for myself. I strive anyway.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. -Wayne Gretzky
I want to live a life that my great great grandkids are proud of.
I never knew my great grandfather. My grandma would always tell me how much I reminded her of him but I never met him. In fact, I’ve only seen one picture of him.
My great grandkids will be different though. They will have Facebook posts, tweets, YouTube videos and thousands of photos to remember me by.
Could you imagine being able to go online and watch videos of your great great grandparents?
It would be amazing! And one day, my great great grandchildren are going to feel like they knew me because I am leaving behind a trail for them.
So when I put out a video or write an article, I do it for them.
Next time you wonder if you’re enough or if you’re doing enough, remember this, if you strive for legacy, you will achieve it. You don’t have to be perfect. Not even close. You just have to do the absolute best you can.
Do it for your great great great kids, do it for the person you want your kid to marry, and overall do it for yourself (with no judgment).
What would you like your legacy to be?
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For more about me, visit DougStewart919.com
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***Grammatical errors & misspellings complements of dyslexia : — )***
