Leave a Legacy

Ordinary things, days, events, people, etc., without something noteworthy tied to them will fade from memory and become part of the blur. What can’t be remembered is forgotten. What is forgotten never gets deposited into our memory banks. What doesn’t get deposited is that which does not strike a chord.

Extraordinary things are another story. There is no generic definition of extraordinary, noteworthy or ‘big’ does not guarantee something being memorable. But one thing is for certain – to qualify it must strike a chord. Anything that strikes a chord will be remembered longer than usual. If it really strikes a chord, it can remember it forever. It is striking a chord that creates the legacy.

My analogy of leaving a legacy is like the wake behind a boat. The wake that is left behind a boat exists because of the water being moved by the boat, actually the term is displaced. The wake (i.e. legacy) is there as a result of the boat (i.e. event, ourselves) moving or displacing the water around it (i.e. others). Consider the wake left behind an aircraft carrier – a lot of displacement occurs behind the huge ship which creates a huge wake and a significant trail. We all have people in our lives who are like an aircraft carrier and leave a longer lasting legacy.  

It is important to note that success is not the standard for leaving a legacy; significance is. Success is when results exceed expectations, but who sets those expectations (others – coaches, bosses, Wall Street, etc.) and often uncontrollable factors significantly influence results as well as performance. Success is wonderful but significance is even better. As individuals we were created and put here to make a difference, contribute and leave a mark on the people around us, and move His kingdom forward. We are not defined by someone else’s scorecard. 

The ‘coin of mattering’ is the currency that values how we have existed and spent time on earth. Mattering is investing in what we profess to care about, what we love, and what we value. It is the essence of what it means to be human, the true purpose and reason for what we do. It is an investment of time, energy, attention, and passion in relationships; all components of a life well lived. The capacity to dream, wonder, imagine, create, build, transform, better, and love. It is a responsibility to live a life that matters. Not just for the sake of our own self-gratification, but for the enduring obligation of fulfilling the privilege of life and serving those around us.

The greatest asset on the mattering ledger is love; one person caring for another. Thomas Merton said, “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.” Knowing this and living it are not the same. To matter, it cannot be a mere passing idyllic infatuation or fascination, but must be an enduring, intense passion. A life that matters can demand a lot. Breakthrough after heartache, accomplishment and jubilation over the anguish, a more difficult journey with a truer north. 

We have been given the opportunity to love and serve those around us and to do it with excellence for His glory. We have been given the means and opportunity to matter. It means everything to have loved in our humanity through God’s grace. Our legacy is not how many footprints we leave. It's how long they last.