Legacies

The recent death of an acquaintance got me to thinking...
A year after your death, what will people remember about you personally and professionally?

They won't remember:

• the deadlines you made
• the budgets you balanced
• the meetings you ran
• the desk you kept clean (or failed to)

I suspect (hope) they will remember

• the help you provided someone just starting out
• the time you made a difference 
• the kind of relationship you have with your family and friends
• the kindness you show to people who you will never see again
• the crazy ideas that you championed
• the value you created for your coworkers and customers
• the values you instilled in your children 
• the smiles that you created, through a sense of humor or an act of kindness
• the art you create, whether it is musical art, visual art, performance art, or simply the art of being there

I fear that they will remember

• not the mistakes that you made but the way you reacted to those mistakes
• the times you lost your temper, especially if it is with a subordinate, or a customer
• intolerance
• injustices
• injuries (physical or emotional) that you inflicted
• The amount that you focused on (worried about) the legacy you are leaving vs. the life you are living.

Everyone will leave a mixed legacy.  The trick to leaving a legacy your grandchildren will be proud of, it seems to me, is to live like you care about others, about causes, and about doing good things, more than you care about your legacy.