Many people consider this concept of leaving behind a legacy. I have been thinking about that a lot lately, as we have experienced a unusually high number of people that have passed away in our family. There is a lot behind the concept of leaving a legacy behind, but one consideration that is constant is that people are usually remembered by less than one sentence. After 1, 5, 10 years after their departure from this earth they will be remembered by those who knew them by one single sentence. Regardless of intent, people will gravitate toward the one highlight that is remembered the most about that loved one. So no matter what you do, your legacy will be remembered by only one sentence. I have noticed this about the most enigmatic, wealthy, and powerful as well. Kobe was a great basketball player, Carnegie was a business leader who made his wealth in steel manufacturing. Think back on the people you are aware of that have passed on, you will remember them with one sentence. Now, there will be a lot more. Books maybe written about a person, libraries raised to remember them, but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about the legacy that someone is known for.
This leads me down the track of considering the one sentence before we leave this earth. Can we write our one sentence now? What is your one sentence? When I pass away, what will people summarize me with? Can you craft a sentence now and then spend the rest of your days focusing on making that sentence a reality? The act of narrowing things down, focusing on the one, removing the trivial and coming up with that one succinct sentence that will be the legacy of who you were is an interesting experience. Certainly causes you to deal with, in a very direct sense, the gap between what you idealize and your current state. Since all you will be remember for any way is the one sentence, why not do what you can to control the narrative!
Guy Reams
So true!