The choice to leave a legacy isn’t really yours; we all leave some kind of legacy. But you can choose whether those who come behind you will remember you in a positive or negative way.
Your legacy is made up of the convictions and traits you model to inspire the generation you leave behind. The good news is, as long as you’re still breathing you can assess your legacy and make sure you are walking in the right direction. What can you do today to validate that you’re on the path to leaving a respected legacy? Making a list is a great place to put your stick in the ground. Though your list of respected traits may vary from ours, this is a good place to start:
Be genuine. When you are true and honest about who you are, others trust that you will also be honest with them. Genuine people can admit their faults, take the bad with the good, and are likely to take responsibility for their actions. The reason for this is a solid, stable self-esteem.
Forgive easily. When you forgive someone who you feel has done you wrong, you’re not negating the fact that harm was done. You are simply letting go of negative feelings that no longer serve you. They say anger is like holding onto a hot coal and expecting someone else to get burned. Forgiveness is a process that takes time and effort, but has huge payouts in the end.
Never stop learning. A challenged, stimulated brain is the key to a vibrant life. Brains that are constantly engaged can actually help stave of mental and physical ailments. The brain is a muscle; continue to keep it in shape by giving it new opportunities for learning and growth.
Live with integrity. Having integrity is the ability to be honest and present your views and feelings appropriately. It sometimes means sacrificing something enticing for your values. The best way to get it is to practice making better choices, developing positive habits, keeping your agreements, and building others up.
Make your work an expression of yourself. Your work should be a place for you to express creativity. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it’s fulfilling and satisfying. Too many of us have come to believe that doing work that we love and are deeply passionate about is just wishful thinking. You have to believe that when passion, determination, and talent align, there is little to stop you from being successful in whatever path you pursue.
Be a giver. Operate on the premise of Zig Ziglar’s quote, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough people get what they want.” Give to charity, colleges, and causes that match your values. You can also create a meaningful gifting plan so your kids and grandkids will receive money while you’re alive.
Treat people with respect. The way you choose to present yourself builds your reputation. You never know who is watching, and when you respect others it dramatically improves all of your relationships. Some ways to show respect are listening without getting distracted, giving others their private time and space, and offering to help when someone needs it.
Write a legacy letter. Tell your loved ones what they mean to you. A legacy letter is a way to speak directly to your loved ones after you’re gone and say all the things you don’t want them to forget and how much joy they brought to you.
Activity: Take a few minutes and write down specific ways you will know that the ones you leave behind will respect your legacy. For example, “My children will value education and ongoing learning,” “My granddaughter will want to follow my example by helping those less fortunate than she is,” “My grandson will want to be honest because I was,” or “My children will navigate family disagreements with respect for each other.” This will connect the traits we talked about above with literal outcomes. You can also use these outcomes to reverse engineer the list of respected traits you strive to emulate.
Financial Legacy
Your legacy can do more than serve as a good role model. It can plant seeds of success for future generations.
Secure life insurance. Some people mistakenly believe life insurance is a scam. The truth is that whole life insurance can be used not only as a way to leave money to your family but as an investment vehicle. Our main goal at Paradigm Life is to teach you how.
Establish a family bank. When you partner with Paradigm Life, we’ll teach you the Perpetual Wealth Strategy. It’s a way where you can literally establish a family bank, a legacy. It’s an estate planning tool that will teach your children and future generations how to use money and preserve wealth.
Prepare a will. Though not a pleasant task, don’t avoid this cornerstone of estate planning (regardless of the size of your estate). It’s an important way to control who gets your property and keep harmony among those you leave behind.
These methods are your way of “staying in the room,” which has a huge effect on the positive legacy you leave. You don’t need to be a Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Oprah, Amelia Earhart, or Abraham Lincoln to leave a respected legacy. When you live in service to others, maintain integrity, follow your passions, and act as a role model for your descendants, you leave them much more than money could ever buy.
Because a big part of your legacy is financial, our goal at Paradigm Life is to help share a model with you called the Perpetual Wealth System that allows you to grow your wealth, access cash value, and leave an amazing financial legacy for your family. We are excited to invite you to take 2 minutes to sign up for a FREE, extensive eCourse called Infinite 101®. You’ll receive access to video tutorials, articles, and podcasts. It literally costs you nothing to become educated on this ideal financial strategy and start changing your wealth paradigm!
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