by Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew
It’s funny how you don’t think about the impact of a person on your life until they are no longer available. Facebook, despite its ability to provide an ample amount of funny videos and mindless entertainment, can also be a place to receive pertinent information. Reading through my timeline one Sunday, I found out about the death of a wonderful leadership teacher and minister, Dr. Myles Munroe. I was fortunate to see Dr. Munroe in person in Dallas, Texas years ago. He impressed me with his discussions on faith, leadership, and impact. I learned so much from him and even though I never had a conversation with him, he made such an impression on me and my thinking. His legacy is immeasurable—so many people around the world have been touched through his books, teachings and mentorship—and many never knew him personally.
As I reflected on his life, I began to think about my own. I began to think about the legacy I am leaving for my future. I think we spend so much time thinking about achieving goals and being successful that we don’t take the time to think about the foundation we are building that contributes to our future legacy. Success is more than money and obtaining things. Although money is a resource, it is not the end. It is a means and we spend so much time focused on getting stuff than giving substance.
Relationships are critical. I believe that when I have great personal and professional relationships, I am successful. When I can pour into the lives of others using my knowledge and life experience to help them on their journey, I have been successful.
Identifying your purpose and living in that space is success. Being on a path to emotional well-being, wholeness and healing can also serve as key components to success. Success is not a path that is traveled alone and in order to achieve long term success, the involvement of others will provide a foundation for your growth. I do believe that when we first understand ourselves, we can better connect others.
When I think about my achievements, I think about the many individuals that have been a part of my path who were instrumental in my knowledge, skills or experience.
I recently hosted an event as a part of a series that I offer monthly in bringing people together around a themed topic. My goal is to help them not only build high quality connections but to assist in their growth both personally and professionally. I wanted to help others through my event think about their own legacy. I wanted those in attendance to think more about crafting a purpose that will lead toward a return on investment in living a fully present life.
Here are 3 steps to creating your legacy, one you can be proud of!
Knowing Your Purpose Is Part of the Equation
I remember a friend commenting on social media that she was unaware of her purpose and did know how to find it. She also doubted that others were so aware of their own. I shared that I guess I’m different. At least for me, my purpose is connected to what I love to do and is embedded in everything I do. I am a connector. I love connecting people to ideas, to resources, and to one another. I find myself doing this very thing for free. It is something that I do effortlessly and an area I excel in without even trying. Your purpose is something that creates excitement, connects you to your passion, and puts you in the zone, or flow.
Find your flow can help lead you to your purpose.
Mihály Csíkszentmihály (2001) gave various conditions for flow to exist:
- intense and focused concentration on the present moment
- merging of action and awareness
- a loss of reflective self-consciousness
- a sense of personal control or agency over the situation or activity
- Time is altered when engaged in this activity (getting lost in the experience)
- experience of the activity is intrinsically rewarding
In order to achieve flow, you must be involved in an activity with clearly defined goals. Flow happens when we are doing something that is challenging combined with confidence in our ability to complete the task. If we want to build a legacy that lasts, we must get in touch with finding our flow.
Legacy is not solely about our death, it is about the way we live actively and abundantly.
Life is about action. Take a few moments and think about the following words and how they shape your present condition and the role these words have in defining your future:
- Pain
- Pleasure
We are all motivated by these two words. Are the experiences that have been shameful, sad, and wounded responsible for shaping you into greatness or are they continuing to serve as a noose around your neck? Are there situations that you haven’t made peace with that are now wreaking havoc on your ability to move forward? How do you allow those areas of your life that bring joy to surface and motivate you toward your dreams?
Dr. Myles Munroe will always be a larger than life legend in my life. I appreciate him taking the time to share his wisdom with others. I am inspired to do the same. As I work to build my legacy in my life it is also evident in the lives of those around me. I can see a picture of hope, optimism, giving, love, and growth. These concepts are not just in those I work with, I strive to make them a part of who I am daily. I can’t say I have all of the answers but I am hoping to make others become more intentional and deliberate about the lives we all lead and how we can make a difference in the lives of others just by what we chose to do every single day.