I had to put things into perspective.
We were on a call, discussing growth and culture.
I shared perspective that gave context to the conversation.
Instead of discussing growth and culture by what people want, we talked about the people that were affected by our decisions.
I said, “I’m not thinking about you, I’m thinking about your newborn child. I’m thinking about your wife. I’m thinking about the cultural and growth decisions we make today that impact them tomorrow.”
Together, we worked backwards from the end based off of legacy.
This is legacy.
Some prefer to follow passion or purpose.
Both are nice, and I like to think bigger.
Legacy is bigger.
Bigger not to overwhelm, but bigger in that it can create context and perspective.
It creates purpose. It gives greater meaning to purpose.
Legacy is about more than what you leave behind for others.
Legacy is your value to humanity.
Legacy is not about you, but it requires you.
Legacy is about the story that is told about you.
Legacy is your gift to the world.
No fluff, no magic, no luck, only what is true.
This is not a story told from a place of ego or vanity. This is a story told about you based off of the value that you delivered on. What value are you delivering on?
Legacy considers the third connection.
At HX Works, I believe that the human experience (HX) is about connection. If you are the first connection, and your friends and family (closest around you) are the second connection, then the third connection is the people your friends and family affect. For instance, a friend’s son, or a brother’s mother-in-law.
Legacy is about not only understanding how you affect others, but understanding how you affect others and how they share your impact.
It’s easy to read that and think, “That’s a lot of thinking!”
Yes, legacy can take effort.
Look around at the human species.
I see a lot of things.
Homelessness.
Human beings without water.
Parents abusing children.
Humans assaulting other humans.
School teachers shaming kids.
Kids bringing guns into schools.
Do you want me to continue?
Listen, I’m not here to judge, or to define what is good or bad.
The idea of judging, good, and bad, are all social constructs that I’m not interested in. I care about the root of this.
And like the root of a tree that needs nutrients to grow, so do humans.
And that takes effort.
To share what is nutrient, or to share light, we must first become light.
As I’ve said before, personal growth is not personal. Personal growth is about who we affect.
When we think legacy, we put life into perspective. Not for our own sake, but for the sake of the human species.
This is how legacy affects us.
When we think legacy, we give context to the present.
Things like gossip, anger, temporary pain, discomfort, or suffering, immediately gain perspective. (All of which can be heavily influenced by narrative of the mind)
When I look at someone suffering, I don’t see someone suffering, I see someone learning because I think of their life in terms of their legacy.
If I experience a disagreement, it is merely a disagreement between 2 human beings. Nothing personal.
When making decisions, when I’m thinking about the end of my life and looking back on my story, how do I want to decide? What will I say? How will the chapters unfold? What do I want the chapters to say? This requires deep time thinking. Deep time thinking is the practice of thinking about moments in the past, present, and future, simultaneously. This is a muscle.
If a customer gets frustrated, then that is one customer who gets frustrated and that is their challenge. If I (or someone on my team) provoked that, then I will own it, and move on. If I disagree, then I will move on and not spend a second of energy on it. (I usually own it.) Why? Because when I think legacy, small things affect me less.
When someone leaves our physical existence ("passes"), then I learn about their legacy and I use it to inspire my own. Why fear death when I can train for it?
Thinking legacy is a muscle.
Legacy is about the thoughts that race through your mind during your last breath. The people I affected while living the life I wanted.
The mind is a beautiful, powerful thing. It can rationalize anything, any way, in any context, at any moment in time. Most of those rationalizations run at the subconscious level. Thinking legacy gives context to the way we rationalize.
This is what I know about legacy.
In addition to what I’ve already said, legacy is happening.
Right now.
Every second.
Every breath.
You are living your legacy.
This is not a scare tactic. This is truth.
Waiting to think about legacy during retirement is a fool’s game.
(But if someone begin's then because that's when they become aware of it, then so it is, not so foolish)
I am calling our humanity to become greater so that we may inspire meaningful legacy together.
The answer to living forever lies in your legacy through stories. The world needs this now more than ever.
To write the ending, you must understand the past and present. If we don’t intimately put in the effort to understand our childhood and different unique life circumstances (whatever that may be), we won’t understand our lens of life objectively.
Your impact has the potential to reach thousands of people.
Or even one person, one could be enough.
It is with that conviction and legacy thinking that we can be open to challenging our ideas and seeking input from others... for the impact we can create.
Imagine a world where we think legacy.
Imagine being born into a world where we spoke more about legacy.
What if we were taught in childhood by “the system” about legacy and the opportunity for legacy?
What if we were taught that the purpose of life is to find purpose and to create legacy?
What if we were taught that life is about more than self (but requires self)?
What if we put more emphasis on experimentation, self-discovery, curiosity, introspection, and personal growth, for the sake of our species?
That is the world I believe in.
We need more big talk in the world. Less small talk.
10 steps for living your legacy
1. Accept that this is not about you.
When we understand that legacy is bigger than self it helps us move through pain and discomfort of battling the inner narrative that is often ignored.
I get it. Reconciling the past and present so that we can write the future takes effort. I understand the resistance. Between mentors sharing wisdom with me, and various leadership programs, and personal growth books, and therapy, I am still refining certain muscles so that I can live with more intention. I commend the pursuit of conquering self so that we may have a healthy self to share with others.
Parents, put in the effort for your kids, and your grandchildren, and your great great great unborn grandchild.
CEOs, put in the effort for your employees, customers, stakeholders, and everyone they impact (the third connection).
Lifelong learners, put in the effort for the next generation.
2. Find conviction through experimentation.
Conviction is intensity of understanding.
The deeper something is understood, the greater the odds of effort.
A strong why can overcome any how.
To find a strong why, experiment.
Learn, ask, seek, succeed, fail.
Believe that identity is separate from the things you do.
Experimentation requires the embrace of vulnerability.
Embrace vulnerability. The uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. Embrace it all.
3. Decide on a path.
Take everything you’ve learned about self.
Take everything you’ve learned through experimentation.
And decide.
Find the thing you want to do for the rest of your life.
When you have the conviction, you will know it when you see it. No questions.
Legacy is about training for death.
4. Share to connect.
Tell everyone.
Tell everyone what you do, who you are, your purpose, and your impact.
The cashier at the grocery store.
Family and friends.
Write about it online.
Become the magnet for your truth.
Intentional conversations around what you find meaningful keeps you focused.
5. Find the support.
Share to strengthen self and conviction.
Also, share to find support.
Find the people who believe what you believe and value what you value.
When life is aligned it can be frictionless.
People are the foundation of most things we experience.
6. Live proactively.
Proactive living is doing things deliberately. Intentionally. Mindfully. Consciously.
Avoid reactive living.
If you don’t create the world you believe in, no one else will.
Create your world.
7. Listen to others, sometimes.
Be mindful of people.
Before accepting, question.
Maybe, challenge.
We are all walking projections of our experiences. The people we interact with affect us.
This is about environment hacking and being mindful of your environment and the people in it.
Listen to others, but never forget your why.
Surround yourself with your tribe to help you live at your best.
Put yourself in the area of most potential.
8. Say “no” more often.
Find alignment.
If something isn't in alignment with your legacy, beliefs, and values, you will have greater impact elsewhere.
Live for impact.
Accept that you can accomplish and conquer whatever you put your mind to. No validation required.
Put your mind towards things that matter to you.
9. Breathe your legacy.
When effort is put forth to align, there is no difference between work and play.
No rigid social constructs.
No hard boundaries.
No fear of being you.
Because you’ve mastered the art of being you.
Show up fully. We need more people who do that.
Don’t do it for yourself.
