When I walk through a cemetery, the most important thing on a gravestone is not the dates of birth and death. Forget the two dates. Just concentrate on the space between the two—usually a dash. What does that dash represent? What happened there? What did that life contribute? After the second date formed the final bookend of that person’s time on this earth, what was left behind?
In The Janitor, the book I’ve been reflecting on the past few posts, Bob (the Janitor) was in the hospital and very ill when he whispered to Roger (the CEO), “It’s not the number of years, but what you do with them that counts.” In other words, it doesn’t matter if you live 20 or 90 years. What matters is how you fill the space between the dates on your gravestone.
The sixth and final axiom that Bob’s wife Alice had passed on to him before her death was simple: “Leave a Legacy.” All of us want to be known for what we left behind more than what we took from the past. Will you leave more value behind you than what you’ve sucked up while on this earth?
Have you had one of those amazing days when you were incredibly busy, going fast and hard all day yet so much was accomplished? At nighttime you take a shower and get ready for bed and all the memories of the wonderful day are flashing through your memory. Your body is tired and exhausted but you know your rest is coming. You know that indescribable feeling of well-being, right?
That’s exactly how I think it will feel when we have fulfilled our legacy. We may not have a lot of energy left, we may be tired, but we are ready. Exhausted and happy at the same time. Spent and fulfilled all at once. Leaving a legacy behind.
What you are filling your days with right now is what you will be remembered for in the future. The choices you make today will determine the legacy you will leave tomorrow. Are you leaving the kind of legacy that you want to leave? If not, what is one thing you can change today?
QUESTION: What is one thing you want to be remembered for? Please allow us to be encouraged by your story so share it in the Comment section below. Thanks!
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