The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.
—William James
What is your legacy? What difference do you feel you have made in this world, for one person or perhaps many? Will you be remembered in 50 years? 100 years? Or more?
These questions do not typically come to mind as we live our daily lives. However, these questions matter because it shapes the way we view ourselves, our goals and aspirations, and even our happiness. This book underscores the importance of thinking about legacy and weaving it into the way we think about our lives and live it.
We all have a goal and purpose in life and the way we accomplish these ties in closely with our legacy. In fact, much of the unhappiness we experience in life is associated with our inability to accomplish our true purpose and establish our legacy.
Human beings have an inherent desire to be kind and good. Instilled in each of us is what I would call seeds of goodness. Every so often we hear of random accounts of ordinary people demonstrating remarkable kindness. For instance, in one case, a businessman dressed as Santa Claus handed out $100 bills to passersby. A person paid the layaway plans at a Walmart store. Another paid the utility bills of 36 families about to lose heat during the winter season. Many of these generous acts take place every day, and in many cases these acts are not even talked about and go noticed.
According to Giving USA (2019), Americans gave about $427 billion to various charitable causes in 2018. Charitable giving crosses generational lines. The Blackbaud Institute (2018) noted the extent of giving according to generational groups: GenZ (44 percent), Millennials (51 percent), GenX (55 percent), Baby Boomers (75 percent), and Matures (78 percent). These numbers suggest that millions of Americans as well as individuals around the world opt to share what they have with others.
People are sharing not only in a financial way but also through volunteerism. Nonprofits Source (2019) indicated that 64 percent of Millennials, 64 percent of GenXers, and 71 percent of Baby Boomers do volunteer work.
There are approximately 1.6 million nonprofit organizations in the United States, and they constitute about 10 percent of the country’s workforce (Independent Sector 2019). This includes organizations such as churches, food banks, and cultural centers that serve the needs of a local, national, or international community.
Some organizations are categorized as social enterprises. These are firms that blend profit making goals with a socially driven agenda supporting the needs of the community, environment, and its stakeholder network. A Deloitte (2018) report underscores the growing importance of social capital in defining an organization’s purpose, its relationships, and its future success.
There are intriguing questions to all these: Why are people giving away their time and money? What prompts them to do so? Why are organizations being set up solely to help others? Why is there an emerging trend among companies worldwide to boost their social capital and engagement with the community?
I would argue that the seeds of goodness within all of us drive some of these actions. We are all motivated to be loved, respected, and thought of in a positive way. At the end of our lives, we would like our friends and loved ones to say that we had a meaningful life and that we have made a difference in this world.
I’d like to introduce the notion of Memorial Capacity (MC) or the ability of an individual to continue to be remembered in future generations. Who do you think are examples of individuals who have Very High Memorial Capacity? Some might pick spiritual personalities such as Jesus Christ or Buddha. Others might pick accomplished politicians or heads of state such as President Abraham Lincoln. Others might pick highly intelligent people like Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton. Some might pick talented artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso or composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johann Sebastian Bach.
The reality is that some individuals have a much higher MC than others.
In my view, there are variations with regard to MC.
Level 1: Extraordinary Memorial Capacity (EMC). Some individuals have passed on a legacy that extends to over a thousand years. A classic example would be Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad, Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha. These individuals founded a religion that continues to be practiced worldwide to this day.
Level 2: Very High Memorial Capacity (VHMC). There are people who are remembered for their accomplishments for a period exceeding 500 years. For example, Queen Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, and Rembrandt van Rijn. Through their remarkable talent and achievements, they are remembered even in the present time.
Level 3: High Memorial Capacity (HMC). Due to their remarkable achievements and talent, there are people that are remembered for a period of over 100 years. There are several in this category including musicians, entertainers, athletes, authors, businessmen, philanthropists, and inventors among others. For example, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.
Level 4: Moderate Memorial Capacity (MMC). There are special and well-loved personalities that continue to be in people’s minds for over 50 years after they have passed. Many are included in this category including professionals, entrepreneurs, and family members. One example would be one’s grandparent.
Level 5: Low Memorial Capacity (LMC). These individuals are soon forgotten shortly after their death. The majority are in this category. These individuals are vaguely remembered not because of their lack of talent, ability, or effort but because the impact they have made living their lives was rather minimal.
Now the hard question—Which category will you likely be in? Is this fine with you, or would you prefer to do better? How would you really like to live your life to optimize your abilities and make a significant and lasting impact?
It is estimated that about 151,600 people die every day. How many of them will be remembered past 50 years?
The objective of this book is to rethink the notion of legacy and help readers worldwide understand how to live more meaningful lives and optimize one’s MC.
When starting to think about one’s memorial footprint, it is helpful to consider the key dimensions that shape a legacy. There are at least five noteworthy attributes of legacy:
Depth. What is your depth of impact? For instance, a professor who has mentored a student or a physician who has saved someone’s life would have a deep impact on a person’s life.
Scale. How many lives have you touched? An author who wrote a best-selling self-help book that transformed many lives or a politician that initiated a bill that provided better health care to the citizenry has made an impact on lives on a grand scale.
Scope. How many segments in society were you able to transform? A famous actress who has made dramatic contributions in the entertainment industry might also have led the effort to fight world hunger and have been a major donor in the art community. In this case, the scope of her impact is wide.
Time. When did you start making an impact on society? If there was such a thing as a legacy balance sheet based on one’s impact on society, there is a good chance that those who started engaging in socially driven pursuits earlier in life could have made a bigger difference than those who decided to act during the last days of their lives.
Inertia. How much energy did you expend in trying to make a difference? It is fairly obvious that a person who has put in a lot of energy in social change would have a greater memorial trajectory and velocity as compared to one who has put in a minimal or no effort.
These dimensions highlight the fact that there are variations in which people pursue social impact and create their legacy. The choices one makes eventually determines one’s MC.
As human beings in a global village, we are endowed with different talents, abilities, and resources. If we want to enrich our memorial capacity and optimize our legacy in our society, what can we do? What were the success formulas of Jesus Christ or William Shakespeare or Wilhelm Friedemann Bach? Is there something we can learn from truly memorable people?
In my assessment, there are several legacy pathways. Here are eight powerful examples:
Financial. A case in point would be a billionaire who successfully created a business empire. After building much wealth, he decides to give most of it to charity. Think Bill Gates.
Social. One example would be an entrepreneur who revolutionized the way people socialize through the web worldwide. Think Mark Zuckerberg.
Political. A President of a country may have made defining decisions that changed the course of a nation. Think Abraham Lincoln and Margaret Thatcher.
Intellectual. An inventor may have created a practical product that helped industrialize the world. Think Thomas Edison.
Spiritual. A person may have initiated a revolutionary spiritual movement. Think Martin Luther and Mother Theresa.
Cultural. An activist may have pursued nonviolent civil disobedience that inspired civil rights movements around the world. Think Mahatma Gandhi.
Physical. A competitive swimmer may have elevated the sport of competitive swimming by winning a total of 28 gold medals and eventually becoming the world’s most decorated Olympian. Think Michael Phelps.
Historical. An explorer and navigator may have pioneered European expeditions in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America initiating colonization of the Americas. Think Christopher Columbus.
These examples are amazing accomplishments of men and women. They all have high MCs as a result of their skills and actions.
However, simple people, with far less abilities, are in a position to enhance and enrich their MC. Strategizing through the five dimensions of legacy—depth, scale, scope, time, and inertia, we can all make an impact in the world in our own way.
This book showcases eight fictional, but plausible, stories of how contemporary individuals can create a lasting legacy. These stories offer important lessons that can inspire you to use whatever talent, abilities, and resources you have to make the world a better place. A summary of the lessons learned will be highlighted and discussed and the concept of a Strategic Legacy Plan (SLP) will be introduced. A conclusion chapter sums up the key lessons for a successful legacy creation.
We are in this world not to merely exist, but to make an impact in our own way and leave behind a meaningful legacy.
References
Blackbaud Institute. 2018. “The Next Generation of American Giving.” https://cdn.fedweb.org/fed-115/2/2018-Next-Generation-of-Giving.pdf.
Deloitte. 2018. “The Rise of the Social Enterprise. 2018 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends.” https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/HCTrends2018/2018-HCtrends_Rise-of-the-social-enterprise.pdf.
Giving USA. 2019. “Americans Gave $427.71 Billion to Charity in 2018 Amid Complex Year for Charity Giving.” https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-2019-americans-gave-427-71-billion-to-charity-in-2018-amid-complex-year-for-charitable-giving/.
Independent Sector. 2019. “The Charitable Sector.” https://independentsector.org/about/the-charitable-sector/.
Nonprofits Source. 2019. “The Ultimate List of Charitable Giving Statistics for 2018.” https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/.
