I love turns of phrase, especially those that are, by their nature, contradictory. Living Legacy is one like this. Legacy, by definition, has to do with what you leave behind. Living implies you haven’t left.
Herein lies the conundrum: how can one craft a Living Legacy? Doesn’t living a legacy imply that a person is aware they are constantly dying (or leaving) in a way?
What the heck kind of worksheet is this anyway?
In 1999, when I was working as a waitress, part-time web designer, and aspiring life coach, I made this sheet to help folks articulate their purpose. At the time, I thought I’d crafted the phrase “Living Legacy” from scratch, but historical searches imply Abraham Lincoln and Jimmy Carter and others had used the phrase prior. Oh well, so much for originality.
Alliteration’s apparently been alluring for centuries.
Around Y2K here was a plethora of “mission” worksheets, so I co-opted the worksheet idea to make this tool, plus I added in MadLibs, because life can be absurdly random too.
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Open in new tab And the idea of Living Legacy points to something true for all of us, that we can walk this earth, hopefully with a bit of joy, tons of sharing and caring, and delightful verve.
And we can purposely try to leave good stuff behind along with the waste we also produce. Maybe even something enlightening, or even love itself.
Yet, many of us need some sense of ourselves: what we value, how we move through this space, what we do while we are here, and what would we like to know we’ve stood for, while we still stand above ground, that is.
That’s because we are part of a complicated system of humanity, and in some ways, we are all one. But in other ways, we are unique and special to those who love us, with a unique contribution to this place through those relationships.
That’s the stuff stories are made of, what people do and why they do it while they swirl ’round this mortal coil. Even the grandest stories come from personal desires.
So I believe personal legacy has merit.
Our contributions would likely not matter much in the great stretch of humanity on this planet, except that we feel love, solidarity, and caring for those around us, and may wish to impart something perhaps that makes the world a better place for us having been here.
At least, I hope many of us do.
Feel free to do this worksheet for free. I was the first registrant and sole owner of Cornerstone Coaching for a few years (I gave the domain away to a nice lady who had survived cancer years later). same goes for the sheet. I wrote it, so I can give you permission. Have at it!
If you choose to use this worksheet in a professional way, please do not send money to the address on the sheet, I gave up that Jamestown, RI PO Box years ago. That little island now has plenty of spare change and doesn’t need your $50.
I could use a touch of cash though, for good things, so if you are a pro, don’t hold back on giving if you find value herein. (Yes, this is me fundraising for basic stuff, because I want to keep writing and making things, and I need to palm my kids a few bucks now and again).
I hope you can use the lightly-weighted lessons wisely, love a little more, know yourself better, and carry on with kindness.
This thing still holds up, albeit awkwardly, and that’s the charm of it all.
Merry Legacy,
Elizabeth
