As you age and proceed into and through retirement, you may think about how you want to be remembered after you’re gone. Two of the specific questions you might ask yourself are: “what do I want to be known for” and “while I’m alive, how will I make a difference.”
Many people see their children and grandchildren as their personal legacy. What’s more important – having them or raising them properly? Have you encouraged them to be honorable people with good morals who give to others? What will they remember about you? What stories will they tell?
Presumably, you will want to be remembered positively by your family, friends, and community. Here are some tough questions to ask yourself:
What kind of person have you been?
- When you’ve interacted with family, friends, and strangers, have you treated them with kindness, respect, support, even love?
- Have you been a role model by doing great things and then teaching other people how to do them?
- Have you deepened your family relationships by preparing a family history, journal, photo album, or ethical will?
How have you given to others?
- Have you helped, inspired, and changed the lives of others?
- Have you created something of value and then given it to or shared it with others?
- Have you cultivated generosity by giving money or stuff to others, even to a beggar?
- Have you volunteered, especially using skills that you’re good at?
- If someone is lost (figuratively or literally), have you helped them find their way? Do you give them directions, advice, and encouragement?
- Have you given the ultimate gift – listening with your heart?
These actions are aspirational. You would have to be a saint to do all of them all of the time. But being a good person has its own rewards – for you during your lifetime and certainly for others whose lives you will have affected and improved.
What can you give of yourself to expand and enrich the lives of others?