Who will Remember You in 50-100 years?

What will they say?

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of my grandfather passing as well as 2 of my grandaunts passing away so my family held a COVID friendly Zoom memorial with around 60+ attendees. As you can imagine it was full of lots of stories, tears and laughs. Preparing my grandfather’s tribute and thinking about the legacy that he and his 2 sisters left behind and how they’re still remembered by those still alive really left me in a reflective mood.  

I’m convinced your legacy isn’t something you just leave when you’re gone. Instead, your legacy is actually the impression you make on others, today, while we’re still alive that continues to live on after you’re gone. It’s how you treat others, what you create and contribute, and how you impact your family and community. Those are the reasons why people will remember you (or not!) and continue to share your story long after your gone. 

After some serious thought I’ve decided I want to be remembered for making everybody feel like a somebody – genuinely accepted and welcomed. For always pointing out the silver lining when skies are gray. Professionally, I want to be remembered for always giving nothing but my best. I want my family to remember me as always being present and always finding a reason to celebrate. Most importantly, I want my son to remember me for giving him energy and spontaneity as well as guidance and balance. 

What about you? How do you want to be remembered? Have you ever really thought about it?

To get you started, think about what drives you, what you’re passionate about. Is it excelling at being a leader at work? Empowering other women or maybe even doing for those in need? What values are most important to you? Is it religion, honesty, or friendship? 

I think when we answer the question of how we want to be remembered, we can start living our best life in the present while building our legacy for the future at the same time. It’s through our everyday actions that we’re writing our legacy so there’s no time like the present to start living more intentionally and start acting the way you want to be remembered.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

Create (and maintain) strong relationships with your family and friends. Go beyond just hitting “like” on their social media. The memories and connections you create now will shape how others remember you for generations to come. 

Set short-term and long-term goals. Is traveling important to you? Set aside money from every paycheck towards a travel fund. Want to give back to the community? Find an organization to donate your time or money to. Want more quality family time? Start a family tradition whether it’s weekly taco Tuesday, a games night once a month, or even helping to organize a family reunion.

Exist in photos. Let me say it again, exist in photos. All you moms out there please get from behind the camera to in front of it more often. Photos help to tell our story. One day, photos will be all your children and grandchildren have left of you so make sure you’re in them. Whether they’re professional portraits or iPhone snapshots, they’ll just want to see you. 

I challenge you to think about how you want to be remembered as generations pass, and what you need to do now to ensure that.

Feel free to share your thoughts. I’d even love to hear how you want to be remembered in the comments section below.