"Very rarely in one’s life does the opportunity arise to participate in something, which might leave a positive legacy for generations to come. Seek out that opportunity and when you find it, embrace it and pursue it to the end. For the lucky few, this is why we’re here." Michael Reid
What is important to you? What do you value? What are your priorities? How do you want to interact with others? Do you want to touch other lives and be touched or do you wish for a private life? What you decide is of the utmost importance to you—what matters to you—may well be how you are remembered. In other words, what matters to you and how you live your life might well be your legacy.
A legacy can be defined as a gift you leave behind for future generations. Some people may mistakenly believe they have nothing of importance to pass on to others—that they do not have a legacy they can leave. To be remembered, to have lived with a mission and not to have wasted our limited time on earth—this is what most of us believe leaving a legacy is all about. Fortunately, we don’t have to be wealthy, famous or talented to leave a meaningful legacy for our future generations. Plain, ordinary people create and pass on enduring and meaningful legacies all the time—whether it’s the single mom providing for her family, the firefighter risking his or her life to save another’s or a LifePharm IBO helping to improve the lives of others.
Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has a family history, and in many cases, one generation passes along that context to the next. This storytelling ritual began with the oral tradition and developed into written biographies, chronicles and journals.
Aside from the generally acknowledged and treasured family history, there may be a business legacy. Leaving a business legacy behind does not require that you be a prominent, well-known brand such as Microsoft® or Apple®, Tesla™ or Ford™. It can be as simple as recording your business building experiences. What did you do that worked? What did you do that failed? Leave a roadmap for future generations, especially if they haven’t yet joined you in your LifePharm journey.
You might not possess a living legacy, such as Wicky Suyanto has created with his sons Wickson and Winston. But you certainly are able to role model your business building for your grown children and when the timing is right, they might join you on your LifePharm path. If not, leaving behind a record of your business building experiences gives them the opportunity to pick up your baton at any time down the road and to learn from your past.
A legacy isn't only about leaving what you earned but also what you learned. It’s not only about leaving money behind for others to inherit, but also passing on the opportunity to make a difference. It doesn't require wealth, fame or historical undertakings in the form of Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King. Each one of us can leave a positive legacy in the form of small, positive actions and behaviors performed consistently over time. For example, helping a neighbor feel healthier, encouraging a depressed friend, providing someone with a way to pay off debt—these may not hold conscious meaning to you on a day-to-day basis but cumulatively, they become a part of your positive legacy.
Read LifePharm IBO endorsements. See for yourself what type of legacy so many IBOs are creating, both consciously and unconsciously. Write down your own. One day, your sons and daughters may come across them, find them to be precious and choose to follow the same path.