What will be your legacy?

Posted on June 12, 2009 by pdncoach


by Becky Morris

leg·a·cy (lĕg‘ə-sē)

  1. Money or property bequeathed to another by will.
  2. Something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past.

I have been reflecting on the concept and implications of “legacy” since I heard a sermon on Memorial Day weekend. Our pastor was speaking of the legacy of Joshua. It was a very thought-provoking message and it keeps rolling around in my head. However, when I saw the definition that spoke of money or property I could not get excited about the legacy I wanted to leave. It needed to be something deeper, more meaningful, something that would motivate others to good. In this sense, I want to leave a legacy.

Five Generations of Women
This past weekend was spent with some of the most incredible women I know. I say some of the most incredible women because there are even more incredible women in our family that were unable to attend. They are all extremely intelligent, amazingly creative, belly-laughing funny, interesting and just fun to be with.

The best part, they are all related to me.

Our uncle (or father, brother, grandpa depending on who you were in the group) was the only male allowed to be any part of this weekend. On Friday evening he took all of us girls on a sentimental journey. We visited the old homesteads of our great-grandparents and grandparents. He showed us the one-room schoolhouse they attended and the church where they worshiped. We visited the cemetery where all of our family members are buried. It was an awesome way to spend an evening.

As I reflected on our weekend and our ancestral tour, I thought about the legacy of our grandparents, where this whole group started, and the legacy they had left.

It was a legacy of enjoying the times we get to spend together, of laughing, eating, poking fun at one another, playing cards and yes, I’m sorry to say, even cheating at cards when necessary. It was the ability to accept one another as we are and celebrate our differences.

However, the greatest legacy passed on by my grandmother was one of a deep faith and trust in God. My grandmother was a prayer warrior and she has passed this great gift onto every one of us. I am reminded of the responsibility I have to pass on this great legacy to the next generation. What a wonderful way to honor my grandmother and keep her memory alive.

John Maxwell says, “Your reputation is what people think of you now, your legacy is what they will think of you long after you are gone.”

We all leave a legacy. But you don’t have to die to leave a legacy. You merely have to be out of sight and beyond earshot. You leave a legacy when you leave a job, complete a project, move on from a role or to another community and, certainly, you leave a legacy when you die. You may leave a legacy when you leave the room!

I like to think that with that comes great responsibility. How will people think of you after you are gone? What will you leave for others to cherish? Will it be more than money (or the lack of it)?

What will be your legacy?

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in Becky Morris, faith, legacy | Leave a comment

Live your life in a way that is worth telling stories about.

Posted on June 11, 2009 by pdncoach

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain

In 1982, I passed up an opportunity (during my undergraduate college years) to work as an intern in the Press Office of President Ronald Reagan. This was an invitation-only fellowship opportunity and I was invited. I would have lived in our nation’s capital and worked in the White House for several months; Washington D.C. is one of my favorite cities. I would have had an incredible, life-changing experience, no doubt. I passed, and I regret it today.

“I can’t afford it.” – I could barely afford college. While much of the fellowship cost was covered, much was not.
“I have serious problems with Reagan’s policies.” – I used to refer to “Reaganomics” or “trickle-down economics” as “Pee-in-the-gutter-so-the-folks-downstream-have-something-to-drink economics”.

These were the thoughts that kept me from pursuing the opportunity…or so I thought.

Like all of us will be from time to time, I was faced with an opportunity that seemed to require more from me than my own capacity to believe in myself would allow. I focused on the obstacles to the opportunity and allowed those obstacles to become my excuse for saying “no”. Those obstacles were very real, but not insurmountable. I never gave myself the opportunity to solve them. I never even gave myself the opportunity to consider if I really wanted to go. I focused on the consequences of going, but never gave a thought to the consequences of not going.

Fact is, I was afraid. Of all the obstacles I would and could have overcome to accept the invitation, fear was my biggest obstacle and I never even acknowledged that fear was paralyzing me. I love my life today, but honestly I wonder how my life would be different had I not allowed fear to by my guide in 1982.

Your fears today may only be half as powerful as your regrets tomorrow.

  • What opportunities do you have that seem to require more from you than your own capacity to believe in yourself would allow?
  • What are the rewards – what great things could change for you – if you boldly pursued the opportunity?
  • What are the consequences if you do NOT pursue the opportunity?
  • What obstacles might get in the way or make things difficult for you? (Fear is nearly always an obstacle in some way.)
  • Think of two or three potential solutions for each obstacle. Choose the best ones to implement that sufficiently address each obstacle.
  • List each step it will take to implement your solutions. Assign a date for when you promise yourself you will take each action.
  • Keep your promises.
  • Live a courageous life that his worth telling stories about.

“…throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” It all happens at The Intersection of Purpose and Now.

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in Action Plan, fear, obstacles, opportunity, solutions | Leave a comment

You Deserve a Break Today!

Posted on June 10, 2009 by pdncoach

Want to get out of your normal routine? If you are anything like me, and most people I know, you want an occasional break from routine. In fact, you probably NEED a break.

A week or two on the Dominican coast would be nice, but you don’t have to go that far to develop perspective, feel rested, and restore your sense of energy, focus, creativity, innovation and service. You can take a break right now. (Warning: you will think this is silly nonsense – just try it)

First, relax. Close your eyes. Get used to the darkness behind our eyelids. Take deep breaths, in through the nose, out through your mouth. Relax the muscles in your face. Relax your neck. Relax your shoulders, then your arms, your fingers. Relax your legs and feet, placing them flat on the ground in front of you. Relax. Just relax.

When was the last time you relaxed like this? Brief relaxation routines are a great way to break from routine almost time of day.

How fast do you normally drive across town? Try driving at least 5 miles slower, or even 5 miles slower than the posted speed limit, as long as it is safe.

Take a different route for trips and errand-runs you make often. Take the long way, the scenic say, the circuitous way.

Get a box of crayons. Smell them. Choose your favorite color. Write a quick note to someone, inspired by the crayon, and mail it or give it to them next time you see the person.

Make a list of your dreams. I have blogged on this activity in the past (just search “dreams”). Make a list of at least 100 things you dream of having, doing, becoming.

Take one of your dreams that seems just beyond your reach and consider, “Why do I want it? What would be the consequence of just letting it go?” If your answer to the latter is at all painful, that’s a good sign you want it! Now make a list of all the reasons (obstacles) you have not achieved this dream, or what might get in the way of achieving your dream. Next, think of some possible solutions to each obstacle you listed. Are there solutions you could implement for each? Then take action. Read The Incredible Power of Goal Achievement or the related Prequel for examples of what can happen from listing your dreams.

Tomorrow, set a goal to experience Five Positive Recordable Interactions with other people. In other words, these must be positive interpersonal experiences that stand out – that break from routine. You must experience at least five. The neat thing here is that, if it gets late in the day and you are running behind, you can always initiate an interaction yourself! I love doing this and have gotten to know some people I would never have met otherwise…those were truly memorable moments.

These are just a few simple ideas that can help you break from routine and energize your creativity. For more on developing new perspective, read What You See is What You Get.

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in breaking routine, creativity, dreams, innovation, new perspective | Leave a comment