Handing down a legacy of your making

What legacy will you leave?

Do you ever think of the legacy you will leave upon your death? Few do until their time on earth is done, but everyone leaves a legacy, an inheritance.

"But I don't have anything to leave anyone," you may say. Do you think of a legacy or inheritance as material goods, only? I seldom thought about a legacy until recently. I thought it was just something that happened. Then I read a chapter in a book that talked about a man who lost a dear uncle. "He died too soon," said the man. "He was such a good person. He still had so much to give to the world."

The uncle truly was a wonderful person who seldom thought of himself. People did not want to let him go, even to be with God, but knowing that his uncle was in a better place, finally brought the nephew peace.

Then the man began to think of the legacy his uncle had left. He had always believed what someone left behind was slanted toward the material. In fact, the man shied away from thinking about what someone left. It sounded so cold, greedy and calculating. But pondering someone's legacy can be a beautiful act. We will all leave something behind. It may be only the memories that our family and friends hold, but if you choose, you can help decide what your legacy will be that follows.

If you want people to remember you in a particular way, reap the rewards of what you've been to them, or what you've given to the world, you can help decide peoples' opinions of your character.

You can also choose to leave an inheritance of misery behind you by spreading selfishness, greediness or an uncaring attitude and evil and negativity in the world. Then people will miss you little when you're gone. After hearing the nephew's story and turning the question inward, I thought about what kind of legacy I wanted to leave while I would hope I still have the time to do something about the impact I'm making.

I would hope that people will say that I was taken too soon, that I still had much to give, and that they will miss me for being the sort of person that I am. I would also hope that I had built a reputation of trust, generosity, love and helpfulness. If I have material possessions left when I'm gone, I would desire that those who most needed them would inherit them. I can decide on that, now.

Think of your life as the telling of a story, for what you do determines how your novel turns out. You can make your story interesting, boring, sad or joyful. It basically depends on you. You may say, "Things just happened in my life. I had no control. You just let the chips fall where they may," and you make up all kinds of excuses.

True, life is determined a lot by chance, but you have a huge bearing on what you do with whatever you encounter. You can blame your circumstance on other people, lack of capital or bad luck. Either way, you have a choice on how you handle what occurs in life.

How you deal with what happens to you can be a part of your legacy. You can inspire other people on how to get through hard times by the courageous example you set. Not only will you feel better, you'll be able to respond more positively. Anything you do is a part of your story. The drama you present, although it's your own, can make a difference. Make sure yours is something of which you would be proud.

Author, Dr. Wayne Dyer, says, "Constantly remind yourself that you're here for a reason, and it's not to hoard a lot of material stuff." Ask, "What are you here for and what will you leave behind?"

Ellen Shuck holds degrees in psychology, religious education and spiritual direction. Her blog, "Chocolate for the Soul: Wisdom for Life" may be accessed at semissourian.com. She is the author of the book, "Wisdom for the Journey."