Legacy or Line Dance? Stop Letting the Caller Choose for You
There was an article about legacy and what it means to people that had me reflecting. A while ago, I had addressed this very same issue in a class I developed called Loving Yourself With Confidence, and my succinct take on it—one I’m sure won’t be surprising to any of you who follow my articles—is being absolutely clear on what it means to you/for you, and then living it. Simple and clean.
I possess a very strong opinion about how people in the U.S. talk about legacy. I’ve staunchly believed that the major focus of the discussion has been from a material achievement and wealth perspective. Rarely does it focus on a broader definition of an abundant life—like values, social impact, and relationships.
So, as I often do, I turned to ChatGPT to do some quick data digging. And to my surprise, the statistics I found were a bit of a dichotomy. Here are some of the findings. According to ChatGPT:
“Collectively, media and reports reference material and financial aspects about 60–65% of the time in discussions of legacy.”
RBC Wealth Management reports that:
61% of high-net-worth Americans view wealth as the main enabler of their legacy, and 66% say quality of relationships is pivotal to their legacy.
“These root values (values, relationships, and social impact) appear in around 70–75% of legacy discussions in press sources when considering both generational and relational dimensions.”
So perhaps the tide is turning more than I believed. I was happy to uncover those findings.
That said, I’m never one to shy away from addressing anything that may help others think about what they’d truly like—and legacy is imperative for so many. What I haven’t largely seen changing is the freedom people give themselves to define, through their own proverbial lenses, what legacy truly means to them—sans any other inferences.
Let me give you an analogy. Juxtapose the visuals of line dancing versus free-flowing dance moves—one is directed by a caller dictating your steps; the other is guided by what you feel your movements should be. This is how some are viewing legacy: a weird, bastardized version of what society infers it’s supposed to be—seen through a lens of status and material achievement—instead of you finding your own rhythm or choreography.
What if you worked to unveil and unfold how your true self feels about your legacy? Legacy can be defined as “the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc., that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.” When you look at it through that lens, it seems like it should be an important thought process—something you intentionally consider when thinking about what you want to leave behind for future generations, no?
What if you listened to what your heart was telling you and let your path unfold one step at a time? What if you followed the rhythm of your own heartbeat and let that dictate what your dance moves should be? Too often, our brain overrides our heart and can quickly squelch the freedom of movement—usually out of fear.
If you'd like to start exploring your legacy, here are some quick thoughts to get you started (culled from the class I developed—with a little help from ChatGPT):
1. What legacy do I want to leave behind? What impact do I want to make on the world?
Think about how you want to be known and remembered.
We talked about how you showed up in the world and your doctrine, but this is pulling that together in a way—it’s your personal impact, your influence, your reputation.
Your legacy and results fall into two categories:
Your legacy will reflect your unique identity, your unique character, and the mark you made on the world.
2. What values and principles do I want to be remembered for?
Reflect on your core values and how they guide you.
Bring that into your future story versus the past.
Reflect on the values and principles that are meaningful to you and that you want to be remembered for.
3. How do my talents or passions contribute to my legacy?
Ask yourself: how do your natural talents and interests contribute to the kind of legacy you want to build?
Consider how your passions align with the story you want to live and leave behind.
4. What legacy have I inherited from my ancestors, and how does that factor into what I’m building for future generations?
This question isn’t for everyone—but if it resonates, reflect on what has been passed down to you.
Then ask: what am I continuing? What am I releasing or transforming?
5. What does my personal brand say about me? Does it reflect my authentic self and my goals?
You want to make sure your personal brand reflects your authentic self and your goals.
In your future visualization:
Gather images, colors, fonts, and textures that represent this future version of you.
Create a future vision board—arrange elements in a visually appealing and meaningful way, with all the components reflecting your future story.
6. What do I want to embody? What’s the concise statement that reflects my future self?
Reflect on your vision for the future.
Define what you want to embody and distill it into a concise statement.
Brainstorm keywords and phrases that capture the essence of it, and play with multiple versions.
7. What are the characteristics of my personal brand?
Develop a detailed profile:
These all go into you and your personal brand.
8. What are the key messages I want to make sure I’m conveying?
What are the narratives of the new you?
What’s your unique value and magic that you bring to the world?
Make sure all of this is reflected in your personal brand.
9. What am I creating for myself and future generations?
Craft a personal legacy statement that articulates your values, your aspirations, your desired impact.
Brainstorm keywords or themes. Start there, and use those as the foundation for your statement.
Let that statement serve as a compass for your actions and decisions—an extension of your personal doctrine.
10. What project, goal, or initiative aligns with my legacy?
Identify one that aligns with your long-term legacy goals.
Develop a plan for bringing it to life.
Make a commitment to take concrete action—regularly.
Schedule time every week or month to work on it.
If helpful, share it with someone who will ask you about it—an accountability partner.
11. What does my visual legacy timeline look like?
Create a visual timeline representing the legacy you want to leave behind.
Start with your current position and project forward into the future.
Highlight key milestones and achievements you want to accomplish.
Think about the potential impact of each of those milestones on the overall narrative of your legacy.
12. Am I continually aligned with my legacy goals and impact?
Monitor and evaluate regularly:Is your plan working? Do you need to make course corrections for alignment or growth? Are you maximizing the positive impact you want to be planting?
Hopefully, that provides a jumpstart to thinking about the legacy that is best aligned with your true self. So, when you let that proverbial caller start dictating your dance moves in your head, balk at that notion and start wiggling your hips or moving your torso in the way that you are called. As Lee Ann Womak says it best in , I Hope You Dance:
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance (time is a wheel in constant motion)
I hope you dance (always rolling us along)
I hope you dance (tell me who wants to look back on their years)
I hope you dance (and wonder where those years have gone)