The year is getting closer to closing out. A few years ago, I decided to start work on myself and my mental health. This year has come with some of my greatest challenges and struggles with a few accomplishments tossed in. The weight of the world kept rushing in to try to stop me. But each day I still got out of bed. I went into work. Finished my schoolwork. And then continued to take care of my family. So many friends and family telling me about how strong I was. Yet, constantly feeling weak.
What do I want to be
One of the things I have been doing was working in my journals. In these journals, they will ask me a question about how I think about myself, how others do, or how I want to see myself. But this last one has me really thinking. The journal asked, “What do you want your legacy to be? And how does this affect how you are today?”
Sure, we all want to be good husbands and wives. Wanting to be good brothers and sisters to our family. To be good mothers and fathers to our children. Good this and good that. That’s okay and all, but I think we need to look further. What makes someone a good parent, sibling, or spouse? No one person is perfect. So how is one person good and not the other?
Legacy
What does it mean to have a legacy? How do you want to be remembered? What is most important to you? A legacy is all of that and more. For me, a legacy is the impression you give a person when they think of you. Every person leaves a footprint on our lives. Whether we want it or not. It is there. What does your footprint say about you?
When I start to think about myself and who I want to be, so many times I feel like I don’t measure up to my own expectations. I ask anyone who knows me, what do they see in me, and it is as if I am some super woman. How is it, I do not see it, feel it, or believe it? When I came across the question about my legacy, I had to step back mentally. Initially, I was about to say to be a good mother and so forth. But I wanted to dig deeper. I wanted to define what my legacy, my footprint in someone’s life is and for it to be lasting. Something rememberable.
My footprint in life
After thinking about it, I would like my legacy to be the person that you knew would always be willing to listen. The person that you knew would have no problem dropping anything and everything they were doing just to make time for you. To be the person that would randomly text, call, or email you just to check in and see how you were doing. I want to be that person that cares, listens, and is willing to engage in a conversation about anything you need to. That is the person I want my legacy to reflect.
Impact in life
But there was another point in the original question. The second part is how does this affect who I am today. Simple, I care about you, because I know how it feels to not be cared about. That is something I do not wish on anyone. The loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is something no one should experience. I care about you, all of you. I know each one of us go through life in ways that are different and the same. But I am not you. I do not have your experiences, your feelings, your reactions. As you do not have mine. Together though, we have shared emotions, dreams, and passions.
We go through life every day trying to be the best people we can. To wake up each day and put one foot in front of the other. As we climb, struggle, and accomplish everything in front of us, we continue to leave footprints on those we interact with. Those footprints become our legacy. The impressions we leave behind through our actions, personality, and our passions. Let your legacy be one of warmth, caring, heartfelt, and passion. Let your legacy carry your footprint through generations of family and friends lighting up every life.
With great warmth,
