A Gift To The Future
A Gift To The Future
Have you ever thought back to what memories you have from loved ones who have passed on? Is there an occasion or event that reminds you of them? Leaving a lastly legacy for those in your life to remember you by is a gift that keeps on giving, a gift to the future. Living your life to the fullest is a common goal, but it seems that some people aren’t planning on the after. With everything that is happening around the world it is a great time to think of what type of legacy you want to leave.
In the latest episode of my podcast, Your Longest Life, I spoke with Richard O. Weijo. We speak about his book Remember Me: Creating and Leaving an Inspiring and Memorable Legacy. Rick’s goal is to help others to reimagine what a legacy is, and how to create one for themselves.
Rick’s Story
A big inspiration behind Rick’s book, and his own drive to create his legacy is his granddaughter. This rings true for many parents, and grandparents. Children are an amazing investment for the future, and the more we do to make the world a better place for them, the more everyone will benefit because of it. Rick mentions 3 elements that guided his journey to writing his book, and investing the time into thinking about his future.
- His granddaughter is the first. Upon meeting her his first thought was what can I do for her? What gifts am I able to give her?
- Retirement from corporate life, and around the same time was hit with some medical news. A cancer diagnosis caught within the early stages gave Rick a jump start to think about what legacy, and what time he had left.
- The last element was going through some of his father’s belongings. He was considering selling some of these items, when he realized the coin collection his father collected was his legacy. These are the items he had to remember his father by.
These 3 elements together were the driving force behind Rick creating his legacy, and creating his book to help others do the same. Using his retirement as a pivot point to look forward to the rest of his life, not look back. Someone who Rick looks up to is Bill Gates. Bill is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. At age 50 he shifted from CEO of Microsoft to focus on his foundation with his wife. Everyday they are creating a lasting legacy for so many people. A great example for everyone.
What Is A Legacy?
A legacy is simply what a person leaves behind after they die to be remembered by. A lasting legacy is truly a generational gift, as the people who enjoy the gifts are the younger generations. One of the most commonly known legacies is money, and the second would probably be property. Both are easily transferred to others, and are able to be passed down through generations. But a legacy does not always need to be about finances. Some of the most important things in life have nothing to do with money.
Sharing experiences with loved ones, and creating traditions and memories is incredibly important. Choosing a theme is important too when deciding on what type of legacy you want to leave. For example; Rick chose education to be a theme for his legacy. His goal is to help not only his children, but also his grandchildren with post secondary education. This is an important theme for him because education gave him many opportunities in his life, and he wants to pass those opportunities along. What themes would you pick? What has been important in your life that you want others to enjoy?
How To Give To The Future?
Now that you have an idea of what your legacy will be, or will contain it’s time to put it into action. How will you put everything together for your family and friends? Thinking about doing this can be daunting, and I definitely suggest reading Rick’s book that I tagged above, as it will give the roadmap you may need.
Rick recommends creating a legacy box. A legacy box is something that you can add to as you go. As you are cleaning one day you might come across a trinket from your past that you think you should pass on. Your legacy box can house these objects for safe keeping. Or another smart decision is investing in a type of recording device to talk to either on your own, or with family member or friend. This could be a phone application, or an actual recorder. Your stories are what makes you the person you are, and have shaped the family you have around you. This is valuable information that could be irreplaceable when you are gone. You only have one life, and living to the best of your abilities is one thing, but creating a gift to the future is another.
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Future focused and positive
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