Live the Legacy You Want to Leave

Most of us have wondered what people will remember about us after we're gone. Will it be the awards we earned, the titles we held, or the things we owned? Maybe. More often, it's about living our values and influencing everyday moments.

Kobe Bryant was a 5-time NBA champion, Stephen Covey sold over 40 million copies of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Aretha Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards.  Their accomplishments were impressive and far-reaching. Yet it was Kobe’s competitive mentality that drove him to be a champion for kids and women’s sports, Covey’s principle-based leadership that instilled confidence worldwide, and Franklin’s musical talent that inspired others to pursue lives of respect and dignity. While their achievements will be on record forever, their legacies were cemented in history by their lifetime of meaningful choices.

Our legacy isn’t only what we leave behind but what we live right now—the daily decisions that define our character, relationships, and impact on the lives we touch. Whether you're an athlete chasing excellence, a manager leading others, a parent raising the next generation, or someone seeking to live with spiritual purpose, your choices today are building your legacy.

Most of us have a living will that outlines our wishes at the end of life, but our living legacy reveals how we choose to live each day. One is a legal document, the other a life message. Both speak volumes about what we value. A living will provides clarity in moments of crisis, while a living legacy offers guidance and inspiration through how we lead, love, and serve. Ultimately, both impart a lasting imprint—one on paper, the other on people. Together, they tell a whole story of who we are and what we leave behind.

Consider this throughout your day: Rather than asking what kind of legacy am I leaving, ask what kind of legacy am I living. Am I making decisions that align with my values and choices that reflect who I want to be remembered as? Am I showing up with love, discipline, faith, and purpose? Am I encouraging others, apologizing if needed, and stepping forward when it’s easier to step back?

Trust that these moments matter—because they do. Today's decisions will be remembered by others tomorrow and after your life ends.

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