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Creating and Living Your Ideal Legacy

A legacy is more than a gift that lives on after you. Certainly, a legacy is a contribution to humanity. A legacy provides value to future generations. However, if you are creating your ideal legacy, it will also make your heart bubble with passion and excitement today!

Louisa Alcott wrote:"When Emerson's library was burning at Concord, I went to him as he stood with the firelight on his strong, sweet face, and endeavored to express my sympathy for the loss of his most valued possessions, but he answered cheerily, 'Never mind, Louisa, see what a beautiful blaze they make! We will enjoy that now.' The lesson was one never forgotten and in the varied lessons that have come to me I have learned to look for something beautiful and bright."Emerson left future generations with a philosophy of creativity, spiritual development, and individualism. He saw value and quality in each moment of life. His writings continue to share the message that people have the mental and spiritual capacities to achieve their dreams. He lived a philosophy that continues to benefit humanity.

The building blocks of your legacy are the ideas and philosophies that you live and value. Your contributions will provide something beautiful and bright to cherish during this lifetime. They will increase your sense of aliveness and fill you with the energy of a unique purpose for which you were born. They make up the quality of your life now.

How can you begin creating and living your ideal legacy today?

1. Decide What You Value the Most

Write down all the things that you value, and select at least five core values: those things that provide the foundation for your actions, beliefs, and philosophies. Examples of values are love, health, spirituality, family, career, adventure, peace, and community.

2. Draw a Time Line of Your Life

Draw a long line and mark it by years and months beginning with your birthday. Extend it for decades after your life will have ended. Include all the things you have done and things you want to do. Include the benefits future generations will experience from your contributions. Show how your life's work will actually continue after you. Your timeline is a very eye opening exercise. Spend adequate time with it and fill in as many details as possible. Then return from time to time to update your timeline and add extra details.

3. Write a Purpose Statement

Notice the themes running through your timeline. They can help to reveal your purpose if you are not already aware of it. A purpose statement is a simple, private statement that guides your daily actions. For example, you might write, "I help others to live happy and healthy lives" or "I create art that brings spiritual awareness." Do not confuse a purpose statement with a mission statement, which is a more specific way you might fulfill your purpose.

4. Focus on Today

Your timeline presented a large picture. What is your focus just for today? Spend sufficient time focusing on your current steps as well as on the future. How are your actions in each moment supporting your values and contributing to your purpose? If you are on purpose, you will feel authentically happy and fulfilled.

5. Move Forward with Gratitude

Live your ideal legacy by taking positive steps each day toward your vision for a better world. Savor the small treasures in your relationships with people. Live with gratitude for each contribution you have received and created. Give thanks even for the setbacks that ultimately reveal clearer paths forward.

Evangelist, Billy Graham said, "The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives." What legacy does the quality of your life reveal today? Envision your ideal legacy. See your role in creating a richer humanity. The legacy you share and live today can create a better world for future generations.

© Copyright by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

MORE RESOURCES:

Morocco fights terrorism with one ID card, quot;promotesquot; creativity ... - CNET News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0i-0fd=Rurl=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10110050-42.htmlcid=1276532871ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNHH-A--uot1-KcucfRaI84m-T8fkQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=g1-C6TTRzoMJimgurl=news.cnet.com/i/bto/20081130/e-id.jpg width=80 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2CNET News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10110050-42.htmlcid=1276532871ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNHH-A--uot1-KcucfRaI84m-T8fkQMorocco fights terrorism with one ID card, quot;promotesquot; bcreativity/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCNET News,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1As to the artist card; it affords them a quot;more structured environmentquot; in which to work and ensures quot;conditions necessary to promote bcreativity/b,quot; according b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Creativity and our life - Malaysia Star

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp%3Ffile%3D/2008/12/2/focus/2583785%26sec%3Dfocuscid=1276335521ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNGh---KptRgE769YvoKZIjXWThGUwbCreativity/b and our life/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMalaysia Star,nbsp;Malaysianbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bCREATIVITY/b, as held by many, can take two forms. One is invention, which has quite often been described as “one creating totally new things”. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Tough times encourage culinary creativity - Aviation International News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/tough-times-encourage-culinary-creativity/cid=0ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNGPPLuzmhkn8gj0F2Srkn6fWEDJGwTough times encourage culinary bcreativity/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAviation International News,nbsp;NJnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1“Tough times don’t destroy bcreativity/b,” said co-owner Paula Kraft. “They demand that you rise to the occasion with even greater bcreativity/b.”/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Self-discipline, creativity work together to spark new ideas for ... - Columbia Missourian

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/12/01/katy-steinmetz-column-dec-1/cid=0ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNECBCF-6JALYyI9Gb5hYOBQWapV3gSelf-discipline, bcreativity/b work together to spark new ideas for b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fColumbia Missourian,nbsp;MOnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1If an artist has limitations to work within, he or she is forced to be much more bcreative/b when trying to produce something original. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Students tap into creativity for CEC derby - phillyBurbs.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-12012008-1630219.htmlcid=0ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNHEilWOctSq4zOnxjAMuuFdBU-V3wStudents tap into bcreativity/b for CEC derby/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fphillyBurbs.com,nbsp;PAnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The assignment tapped into many of the students bcreative/b energies, the teacher said. One student made his wood block into a trolley, another into a football b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Stefanski adds touch of creativity - Cherry Hill Courier Post

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20081130/SPORTS03/811300379/1002/SPORTScid=1276094120ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNGFCw2hIVLjGvN6W6qPkqzF8fL-FgStefanski adds touch of bcreativity/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCherry Hill Courier Post,nbsp;NJnbsp;-/font nobrNov 30, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By MARTIN FRANK • Gannett News Service • November 30, 2008 Already, it is clear that Stefanski breathed some much-needed life, ingenuity and bcreativity/b into b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Creativity unleashed - This is Total Essex

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/go/Creativity-unleashed/article-513717-detail/article.htmlcid=0ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNEcUtdhhT1cN30ODLDiwS6nT_DR4wbCreativity/b unleashed/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThis is Total Essex,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1And to get you warmed up for that, there#39;s I Scream Sunday, a night of bcreative/b performances from 7pm. The organisers are promising a big dollop of poetry b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Gift ideas: Encourage creativity with board games - Asheville Citizen-Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D2008812010304cid=0ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNE-R8PwK1QWl_-ycY-eqcts9dpGlgGift ideas: Encourage bcreativity/b with board games/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAsheville Citizen-Times,nbsp;NCnbsp;-/font nobr20 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Here are 10 top picks for remarkable board games that stand out from the crowd and stand up to bcreative/b play. “Labyrinth is a strategy game of searching for b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

St. Peter Teen Uses Bubble Wrap With Creativity - KEYC

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.keyc.com/node/14006cid=0ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNFjwR-PoukW6DBeLpzkA3Cd8KCZ-gSt. Peter Teen Uses Bubble Wrap With bCreativity/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKEYC,nbsp;MNnbsp;-/font nobr20 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Most people will admit to being fascinated by bubble wrap.It can create hours of fun and one teen found a way to combine that fun with education. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Retail: In the shadow of a grim forecast, merchants test their ... - Ocala

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.ocala.com/article/20081130/OBIZ/811300297/1357/obiz%3FTitle%3DRetail__In_the_shadow_of_a_grim_forecast__merchants_test_their_creativitycid=0ei=HJs0Sc_TGoGi9gSy9N0nusg=AFQjCNEk0n0foglnUvonVFZROJiL6zytRARetail: In the shadow of a grim forecast, merchants test their b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fOcala,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobrNov 30, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Mike Franco, center facing camera, and Marjorie McGee, partially obscured at right, co-owners of the Lime Cabinet, tend to a throng of customers on the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Creativity - Google News

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