How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

He always had a smile on his face.

He believed in all people.

He loved life and lived it to the fullest.

He would do anything for anybody.

He was happiest when helping others.

He made a difference.

This is how I want to be remembered. 

How about you?

How do you want to be remembered?

I spent this past weekend in Portland, Oregon attending my very first World Domination Summit. It was an incredible experience. I met so many wonderful people and got to listen to many great speakers.

One in particular was Michael Hyatt who spoke about living a designed life.

He defined a designed life as being conscience of our lives and our decisions, of how we choose to live. Being intentional with what we do and how we act. Choosing our destination and where we want to go versus unconsciously drifting through life. He called this the drifting life when we’re not consciously taking control of our life and what it is we want. Where we get caught up in life’s distractions and as a result, we get to a point where we are not conscious with our decisions and what we’re choosing.

What Decisions Move The Needle For You?

Of course none of us want to think about the end of our lives, I know I sure don’t. It scares me, sometimes gets me depressed, and quite frankly just isn’t a fun and exciting topic of discussion for me.

What I do think about often and is important to me is how I will be remembered when my time is up. What memories will others have of me? What message, ideas, hope will I leave behind? What difference will I have made in this world?

What will be my legacy?

I’ve often heard the word “legacy” and for quite some time (I’m talking years here), I wasn’t sure of what it was, what it meant, and why it was even important.

In the dictionary, legacy is defined as an amount of money or property left to someone in a will. That’s not the type of legacy I’m referring to here. The legacy I’m speaking of is how we’ll be remembered after we’re gone. The contributions we’re making while we’re still here. How and what we want to be remembered for.

Will it be your smile, your sense of humor, or ability to make others laugh and feel good?  Will it be your determination, perseverance, and go-getter spirit? Will it be your creativity, your intelligence, the ability to get things done? Will you be remembered for your accomplishments, achievements whether at work or within your community? Will it be as a wonderful parent, a thoughtful husband or wife, a loving brother or sister, or a friend who would have done anything for anyone?

How do you want to be remembered? What will be your legacy?

During Michael’s talk at the World Domination Summit, he explained that in order to live a designed life, we must ask ourselves these three questions:

1. How Do I Want To Be Remembered?

What we do, what we say, how we act, the decisions we make today are all shaping who we are and how we will be remembered. We will be remembered by what we are doing today.  We are living our legacy right now.

“Become architects of the memories others will have of us.”

2. What Is Important To Me?

There are many things we think about, many things we want to do, places we want to see, businesses we want to create. It’s not about what we can and can’t do, it’s about priorities. Focus and do what matters most to you.

“You can do anything you want, just not everything.”

3. What Single Brave Decision Do I Need To Make Today?

We are who we are and where we are because of the decisions we’ve made in our lives. One decision can change your life, shape your future, and create your legacy. It’s making the tough decisions, not the easy ones that shape our lives, our future, and ultimately our legacy. Choose happiness over easy, even if it is the road that is tougher and less traveled.

“Nothing worth having ever comes easy.”

There were many great talks and speakers during the weekend, although I must admit this one was my favorite. I want to briefly share with you my answers to the questions above. By putting my answers out there for all to see, I am committing to them, I am making them real, and I ask that you all please hold me accountable to my statements below.

How Do I Want To Be Remembered?

I want to be remembered for loving to laugh and making others laugh. For believing in others and all that is possible for them, for me, for our world. For loving my family, my friends, my neighbors, and complete strangers with acts of kindness and words of support. For never having let fear stop me from doing what’s right or made me happiest. For being honest, humble, understanding, and compassionate, always.

What Is Important To Me?

First and foremost, I am important to me. I will respect myself, believe in myself, love myself, and do all I can within my control to take care of myself so that I may love, help, support, and make a positive difference in the lives of all those who are most important to me. To contribute to the greater good of others so that I leave our world a little bit better than how I inherited it. To make someone’s life, even if just one, better because I lived.

What Single Brave Decision Do I Need To Make Today?

I love the time, effort, and all the work I do for The Wellness Bucket and all the wonderful people I get to interact with, work with, believe in, and assist in whatever capacity possible and necessary to help make a positive difference in their lives. To be truthful, The Wellness Bucket does not provide me the means (yet) to focus on it wholeheartedly without needing to work another job to pay bills and make ends meet. My single brave decision I need to make is to make the leap of faith and focus solely on The Wellness Bucket and nothing else. Dedicate all my time and effort to what I believe in, to serving others, to what’s most important to me, and what makes me happiest.

I encourage you all as well to write down your answers to these questions and share them with family, friends, or with me so that we too may hold you accountable for your commitments, your actions, your legacy, and how you want to be remembered.

LIFE IS A GIFT. DO WHAT MATTERS. 

If you are comfortable doing so, please share with me and the rest of our awesome community at The Wellness Bucket how you would like to be remembered in the comments below.

Featured Image: Adventures in Cabo