A few weeks ago we said goodbye to my uncle. He was my dad’s brother and his only immediate family member still alive. As we sat and remembered him at his funeral, tributes flowed about the type of man he was. He was remembered as a kind and generous man who would help anyone in a heartbeat, he had a strong sense of loyalty, and big humour. He was recognized as being true to his values and not afraid to speak up and tell you how he thought it should be. While some tributes were about remembering personal memories about specific events, most of them however were about the type of person he was – the day to day actions or behaviours that cement within us and tell the world who we are; the things he enjoyed and what was important to him.
As I sat there and personally reflected on his life and our greater existence, it got me thinking…. how we might be remembered when it’s our turn to leave this life? The famous Maya Angelou quote comes to mind:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou
Our deep sense of who we are brings about emotions and feelings in others or as they say “our actions tend to speak louder than words.” Everyone of course will have a slightly different recollection of us however there will be themes about our character, our interests and our values that will run across most people. Do those closest to you know what’s really important to you, what your wildest dreams are or what you are striving for?
We all have a legacy that we want to leave, be it big or small however it’s not just about how we want to be remembered it’s how we actually live our life NOW that will lead to how we are remembered. When we are showing up and living our best life day in, day out we can be rest assured that we will be remembered by those closest to us as someone whom we ourselves will also be proud of.
Take a moment and ask yourself:
- How do others currently see you?
- How do you want others to remember you?
- Will it be in alignment with how you see yourself?
- Are you living your best, most authentic life? If not, why not? What is getting in the way?
Life is too short to wait until tomorrow.
If you would like to know more about how you can live your best life, you can contact me here.