It’s been said the best way to live today is to think about what you want to be remembered for after you’ve died. Question: When you leave this Earth, how will you be remembered?
A Tale of Two Lives
Three years ago I spoke at my Mothers memorial service after she died at 87. There were a small number in attendance made up of friends and family. Keep in mind many of her friends and family had already passed on before her. My Mother loved her God, her family, her friends and her community which she demonstrated a thousand different ways. Even on her death bed, she would share Jesus with her attendants. Mom and Dad were married for 63 years demonstrating true love and fidelity. Overall, my Mother had a lifelong positive impact on me and those she came into contact with.
35 years ago I attended the memorial service of Jack, an Elder at the church I was a member of. Jack was a retired welder who spent his time assisting and mentoring those around him. I spent many a day in Jack’s home soaking up his wisdom. Jack took a close friend of mine and taught him how to weld to the point he went on to become a certified welder. He ended up opening his own heating and cooling company.
Jack’s funeral was attended by nearly 300 people with standing room only in our little church building that day. The service lasted three hours as one person after another shared how Jack had supported him or her along life’s way. When I left that day, I had two thoughts: First, was how grateful I was to have known Jack. Second, was I want my funeral to be the same as his knowing my life had a positive impact on those I come into contact with.
It was the deaths of those two very special people, where the desire to leave a positive legacy was born.
Leaving a Positive Legacy
When you leave the company you’re currently working for, what will you be remembered for? Will you be missed or will your coworkers be happy you’re gone? What about the friendships you’ve cultivated over the years will these friends be sad at your passing? Or will they remember all the turmoil you brought them through? What about your children? Will they miss you or will they feel as if they were robbed of not really knowing you?
My contention is most of us don’t spend enough time determining the legacy we want to leave behind. Like it or not, we leave a living legacy of everyone we have ever touched for the good or the bad.
With this in mind, why not begin right now and determine to live out a positive, Godly legacy. Start with ridding yourself of anything that detracts from being a person of integrity. Get rid of habits that keep you from operating at your full capacity. Get rid of attitudes that prevent you from seeing God’s will.
It means being willing to mend broken fences and rebuild some wells that have been long overgrown with weeds. It means being a servant minded person and not a hard hearted person who sees people as a meal ticket.
Sometimes leaving a positive legacy means standing against the evil being foisted upon you by politics, religion, business, media and peers. Taking a stand is not a popularity move, it’s a Godly move. Standing for what is right takes courage and fearlessness and has a cost to it but one well worth paying. Even if you’re the single candle in a dark cave you bring light and that’s power!
Action Steps
1) Call your parents and tell them you love them or at least you are grateful they did their best to raise you and take care of you. Even if you come from a very abusive background, acknowledging them as humans will go a long way in healing your broken heart and not passing the bitterness onto your children.
2) Call three friends you haven’t talked to in 6 months or longer and tell them how much you are grateful to have them as friends.
3) Listen to your co-worker or your employee the next time they are hurting and they need a shoulder to cry on. Don’t pass judgment just listen.
4) Hug your children and tell them you love them and demonstrate it by spending more time with them.
5) Hug your spouse and tell them how much you love them and that you are grateful to have them as your partner and friend.
6) Thank your clients for doing business with you.
7) Be a mentor, teacher and demonstrate ethics in all you do.
8) Stop procrastinating and launch that long dreamed about venture.
9) Stop the pity party and get on with life before it passes you by.
10) Don’t give into tyrants, but resist them.
11) Create an A-Team of trustworthy friends who will have your back
If you apply some of these ideas and add your own, I know for certain you will leave a positive legacy and be fondly remembered at your funeral.
Here’s to leaving a positive legacy.
Steve Johann
P.S. Feel free to email me how this article impacted you and the results of your actions after reading it. Contact me at www.stevejohann.com and use the contact form. You can also find my work on my YouTube channel under Steve Johann and soon other digital outlets.
About: Steve Johann is a follower of Jesus, father of 3 God fearing sons and husband of their beautiful mother of 30 plus years. He operates Steve Johann Productions, has been Podcasting since 2007 his show is www.horsepowerchromeandrust.podomatic.com lastly he is passionate about educating, inspiring and motivating people through his God based teaching and writing.
