The Power Of One Voice (Part 1): Leaving A Legacy

Can one person make a difference to the world? There are many people who have left a huge mark on the world, crafting new directions and bringing hope. The legacy that these people leave behind is a gift to mankind, a way to learn important lessons from someone long after they have passed away. These are amazing examples of people whose legacy endures still and will endure forever. And too there are many people today who are currently in the process of crafting new paradigms that will change our future world someday. Know that some of us may make small contributions, some large, but in the eyes of God all are equal and each gift helps to make the world a better place in some way.

Examples of people that left a legacy

When you think of people like Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, Albert Einstein what thoughts come to mind? Some people only know the name of these people, not what their legacy stands for. I believe it is important to keep legacy alive. I think of their fame, their words, their vision and amazing foresight in being ahead of their time, as people that added a new dimension to the world around them, changing the world. To me Elvis embodies an era in music. He revolutionised the music industry, cutting new paths with songs like "Jailhouse Rock" and "All Shook Up", singing gospel with his deep earthy tones and being described as a white person who sounded like an African-American, singing about lost love and being alone and yet at the same time making this seem as if there was a dream somewhere to be grasped. Mother Teresa left a huge legacy, caring for destitute people in India, people that others had forgotten. Mother Teresa believed real change happens when we start working on love and peace at home, with ourselves and our families, and this will then radiate outwards. Albert Einstein is a shining example of someone who at school was pinned as a future failure, yet much of science today hinges on his thoughts. Albert Einstein had humility and an open mind and most have heard about his theory of relativity, even if many don't actually know what that means. His theory of relativity changed perception of how the world works, as it superseded Isaac Newton's 200 year old theory of mechanics. And what will the next theory be, what will redefine Einstein's theory? Regardless, people will still be taught about Einstein. Jesus died over 2000 years ago, no-one even knows what he looked like, and yet His gospel is still being spread in the world today. What an amazing legacy. Jesus' words still ring with truth today, and I believe He provides answers to a broken world. His words speak about love for God and love for each other, he asks people to bless their enemies and to love their enemies, to pray for people who persecute others and to leave the rest to God. Jesus gives us the promise of hope and peace in spite of any circumstance that might come our way. His legacy lives on. 

What are some ingredients to realising a legacy?
Important is that one may never leave the type of legacy as given by the people I've used as examples, but we can all give of ourselves and make a difference to the world in our own way. Legacies are not normally made, they happen, but we can all try our best to live out our dreams for the future and what you will excel at is usually tied into these dreams. A key ingredient is to know what you want to achieve, to craft your vision of what you would like to see become a reality. Does your legacy mean a book to you, or starting a charity, or even taking up motivational speaking? Each of us is different and different dreams will appeal. Sometimes dreams change, as mine did (see article Rediscovering Me). Write your dream down and rewrite it until you are happy with this as a future vision.  Writing it down makes it more tangible. Set some goals to work towards to make your dream a reality. And then make that start. The future is unknown, but we will never get there without taking initial action. I am hoping that I can make a difference somehow with my writing. I don't know where this will take me, but I have hope that this is a step in the right direction. Sometimes the small actions we take have unexpected outcomes far beyond our wildest dreams. If you get moving you will find direction, but you must have an idea of where you're going. And as one of my previous managers said once as motivation to me: "Do one thing and do it well. People will remember what you did, not how long it took." Realise too that the effort you put in is not always proportional to the result that you get out. A lasting legacy is usually spawned by a chance event and connecting with the right people at the right time, but if there is no effort there will be no result.

In conclusion

I have given some examples of amazing people that made a difference to the world, and still make a difference to the world in the legacy they each leave behind. There are many more examples of such people. But remember, much good work is done by people behind the scenes who may never be publicly recognised for their efforts - we cannot all be world famous, but we can all make a difference to our worlds, and to the world, in our own way. Just make that start. 

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