LEGENDS AND LEGACY
“We build our legacy piece by piece, and maybe the whole world will remember you or maybe just a couple of people, but you do what you can to make sure you’re still around after you’re gone.”…. David Lowery
Traditionally, legends have been defined as a story about human events or actions that have not been proven nor documented in real history. However, legends can also relate to people who are very famous and widely known for doing something special either in the present or in the past.
A legacy, on the other hand, is anything handed down from the past such as from an ancestor to a predecessor. Metaphorically, leaving a legacy is like planting a seed in a garden that you may never get to see blossom while others reap the fruits of your labor.
Ones legacy can either be positive or negative. In many people’s eyes, the former chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler, left a negative legacy due to his anti-semitic beliefs which resulted in the Holocaust (the systematic murder of millions of jews between 1941-1945 because they were deemed to be an inferior race and a threat to the German racial purity).
Former United States President Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand was considered one of the greatest presidents in the nation and is widely known for guiding the nation through a tumultourus Civil War that preserved the Union. Lincoln is also known for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. He also supported may other important bills during his administration such as the 1862 Pacific Railway Act, the 1862 Homestead Act and the establishment of the USDA in 1862.
Leaving a positive legacy or becoming legendary is within the realm of possibility for us all. Sometimes legacy can involve passing on fiancial wealth. However, it can also involve making a significant contribution to the world either in a ‘one on one’ relationship or on a much larger scale.
However, to effectively leave a positive legacy requires a few key ingredients:
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(1) PURSUING YOUR PASSION
Since 2007, CNN has aired a television program known as: CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. The program honors individuals who have made significant contributions to society. The winner of the CNN Hero award receives $100, 000 to expand their work. The 2019 winner of this prestigious award was Freweini Mebrahtu for her work involving designing a reusable menstrual pad to help keep girls in school in Ethiopia due to the cultural stigma surrounding the menstrual cycle. This cultural stigma consisted of ostracizing and humiliating girls and women during their monthly cycle. However, the creation of the reusable menstrual pad, which was patented in 2005, helped bring dignity to many girls and women. Since this time, more than 800,000 girls and women have benefited from Mebrahtu’s work. Mebrahtu is an example of someone who truly embraced her passion, despite how trivial or unimportant her mission may have seemed to some.
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(2) HOLDING FAST TO YOUR VALUES
Evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher Charles. R. Swindoll once said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” One person’s life that was very demonstrative of this was former South African President Nelson Mandela. Mandela was the country’s first black president that was elected in a fully democratic election. Mandela, who had been a human rights activists for years, helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa and he also remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice internationally until is death in 2013 at the age of 95. He was also jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993 for his efforts in help to end apartheid. However, despite how glorified his life and story may seem, his great legacy came with a price, which involved being jailed for a third of his life (from 1962 to 1990).
Of the many things Mandela has said about his time in in prison was this: “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” Indeed, Mandela found the secret to inner peace by letting go of the past, holding holding on to his values, and also recognizing the healing power of forgiveness.
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(3) SERVING OTHERS
Mother Teresa once said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
Mother Teresa is considered one of the 20th Century’s greatest humanitarian. She was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, which focused on helping the sick and the poor. In 1979, Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work and was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.
Mother Teresa committed herself to her religious vocation at an early age. When she was 18, Mother Teresa, who was known by her birth name of “Agnes” at the time, left home and joined the Sisters of Loreto in Rathfarnham, Ireland. Her unwavering commitment to serve society and mankind was greatly recognized by students and teacher until her death in September of 1997.
