What will my legacy be? Have you thought about yours?

What will my legacy be?

What does legacy mean to you?

Have you thought about what your legacy will be?

It’s time for this month’s Tell Us About…. a link up hosted by some lovely ladies (including me) from all over the world. You can see who they are at the end of the post and I encourage you to visit their blogs and check out what they have written for this month’s prompt.

Each month one of the members selects a topic/prompt and this month it is Tell Us About……Legacy. This month’s prompt was suggested by the lovely Leslie from Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After  and it made me pause and ask myself – What will my legacy be? I’ve never really thought about it so now was a good opportunity to actually take some time to ruminate on the subject.

What does ‘legacy’ mean?

I consulted ‘AI’ for this one to see what came up. I had a vague idea and to be honest felt it was a bit like writing my eulogy (which I hope won’t be required for some time yet). It’s one of those subjects that I’ve never really taken time to ponder so this prompt gave me the opportunity to delve more into the meaning. The result from AI was as I expected with a little more thrown in by me as I expanded on what legacy means to me.

A legacy is the impact, influence, or imprint that a person leaves behind after they have passed away or moved on from a particular stage in their life. It encompasses the memories, accomplishments, values, and contributions that shape how they are remembered by others. Legacy can be reflected in various forms, such as the positive changes one makes in their community, the relationships they build, the knowledge they pass on, or the creative works they leave behind. It is a way for individuals to leave their mark on the world and continue to have an enduring presence even after they are gone.

Okay, so impact, memories, accomplishments, values – how have I embodied those? I once wrote a post #ToEachHerOwn Campaign – Why it’s important to share & celebrate your story. In that post I wrote:

Sharing and celebrating our story helps us to learn more about ourselves.  We often dismiss our qualities or experiences as not being important, yet they are what make us who we are.

Sharing our story is not just important for ourselves but it is also of importance to our children and grandchildren.  

Re-reading the post made me realise that I probably haven’t thought too much about my legacy because I associate the word with ‘larger than life’ actions or people who have actually made a difference in the world.

That is certainly not me BUT perhaps it is….. I haven’t made an impact worldwide, but I hope and believe I have made an impact within my family and close circle.

I’d like to think that perhaps I’ve made a difference to my readers of my blog, followers on social media and listeners to my Podcast (which is now also being broadcast by a community radio station), encouraging them to Live Well Enjoy Life and most of all be a woman living life her way.

My Legacy

I thought as a start I would use the word legacy to try to capture my legacy. I found this method of using each letter as a prompt for the different ways I would like to be remembered a good starting point. For me, although I’ve listed some achievements, I would like those to remember my qualities as a human being. How I lived my life, how I treated others and the values of upheld as important to me.

L – Loving: I would like to be remembered for being loving and kind – not only to my inner circle as a Wife, Mother, Nan and friend but also showing kindness and compassion to all. Throughout my life, I have strived to show love and compassion not only to my family and friends but also to those I encounter along the way.

E – Encourager: I have always been someone who encourages, uplifts and inspires others. Encouragement can have a huge impact on someone’s journey. Whether it’s through my words, my actions, or my support, I want to be remembered as someone who lifted others up and helped them realize their full potential. I am always fulfilled and joyful when I’ve learned that someone has achieved their goal and that my encouragement helped them get over the line.

G – Generous of spirit: Giving has always been an important value to me and one that I learned from my Mum. I have strived to be generous not only with my resources but also with my time and energy. Whether it’s lending a helping hand to those in need or simply listening to someone who needs a shoulder to lean on, I want to be remembered for my generosity of spirit.

A – Active Achiever:

Part of my legacy is to inspire others to ‘go for it’ by being a role model and leading by example by highlighting the importance of and practice of keeping both my mind and body fit and healthy. I have always prided myself on my commitment to personal growth with a love of life-long learning and achieving goals I have set for myself. Hopefully I have also proven that it is never too late to start and we can do anything that we put our mind to – all we have to do is try. Looking back apart from my biggest achievement of being a mother to two fabulous children, it was mainly in my 50s when I started to achieve new heights and explore new possibilities.

I started running at 50, ran my first marathon at 55 and have run 4 marathons in my 60s. I studied for and achieved my Certification to become a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer at 63 and 64. I started my podcast at 63.

I’ve been able to play and get amongst it with my grandsons (who think I can do anything) because I have maintained a healthy lifestyle.

C – Celebrating & Sharing my story

One aspect of my legacy is the importance I place on sharing and celebrating our stories. I’ve tried to share my story and experiences through my blog . By sharing our experiences and perspectives, we can learn more about ourselves and others. By sharing our story we celebrate our achievements but more importantly who we are, what our qualities and values are. I hope to be remembered as someone who encouraged others to share and celebrate their own stories, enriching their lives and leaving a lasting impact.

Y – You-nique – Okay a play on words but above all else my legacy, like most of us is to be remembered for who we are as an individual. To be remembered for our Unique qualities. I am ME and there is no-one else in the world who is exactly the same as me. I hope I’ve left my unique footprint on the lives of those, I’ve loved or touched throughout my life. I hope that I’ve encouraged others to recogonise their unique qualities and to have the courage to live an authentic life and be true to themselves.

I like to see my legacy as a tapestry woven with love, encouragement, generosity, achievement, individuality, and recognising my uniqueness. , I would like to think I will be remembered as someone who made a positive impact on the lives of others and left behind a legacy of inspiration and connection.

When I first saw this month’s prompt, my first reaction was ‘Oh no, what am I going to write’! Now that I’ve finished I’m so glad that Leslie selected this word – thank you, Leslie. It has made me delve into who I am, acknowledge with pride some of my accomplishments (instead of hiding them away), dig deep into my soul and be honest on the legacy I would like to leave and be remembered for.

During this process, I’ve discovered that I really know who I am. I’m comfortable with ME and embrace and celebrate my unique qualities.

Over to you now and I leave you with this question: What will your legacy be?

Tell Us About….Contributors

Leslie from Once Upon a Time, Happily Ever After – On pondering this month’s prompt, Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After writes:  One of the most touching things I was told just after Mom died in 08.2022, was that my brother, sister, and I were her legacy.  My (former) sister-in-law Metra was the sweetheart who imparted those words to us. And they were such a comfort to me.  I felt like Mom had gifted us with so much in her 95 years and now it was up to us to carry on for her.  A big job!! Find her post at   https://onceuponatimehappilyeverafter.com/tell-us-about-09-2023-legacy

Gail from Is This Mutton – Kathleen Lovis was an ordinary woman who never owned a house or car. She didn’t go abroad until she was 81. Kathleen started working at 14. She was the grandmother of Gail from Is This Mutton, who treasures Kathleen’s legacy of a handwritten memoir and recipe book. Find her post at  https://www.isthismutton.com 

Deb from Deb’s World (Australia) –Debbie embraces the quirkiness of life in her response to the question of her legacy, thanks to some helpful technologies.

Suzy from The Grey Brunette (Brit living in Portugal) –Suzy’s blog post explores her aspiration to leave a lasting legacy of creativity, inspiration, and empowerment, emphasizing the importance of igniting creativity within oneself and others. Find her post at https://www.thegreybrunette.com/lets-talk-about-legacy/

Marsha, from Marsha In the Middle  – Marsha is sharing the legacy of a truly extraordinary man.  His legacy is in the thousands of children and adults who were fortunate enough to have known him.

Penny from Frugal Fashion Shopper Penny felt rather at a loss when contemplating ‘Legacy’ as she had decided to leave this planet with the least fuss possible. And yet she has things to say about ‘Legacy’ which will become clearer when you read her post!  However, Penny is on holiday this week and will post her piece shortly, so no link today!”