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You may be wondering why I picked this topic during the Christmas season.  It’s because few people ever consider that every day they are on this Earth they are developing their legacy story.  As January approaches and you begin thinking about your New Year Resolutions contemplate the legacy you are currently creating.

A legacy is all the things you leave behind when you die: your possessions, finances, reputation, and most importantly the memories of those who knew you. Those people will be telling the story of HOW you lived your life while you were on this Earth to everyone around them.

If you were to look forward to the end of your life, what kind of legacy are you currently creating? Imagine being at your funeral, hearing your eulogy, and listening to all the conversations of everyone that attended. Now ask yourself, “Would I have any major regrets about how I lived my life?” If you had to guess, how would the people at your funeral remember you? Would they be swapping stories about how you made an impact on their life? Would they be talking about all the great places you had visited? Would they remember your laughter and easy-going attitude, despite the regular chaos of life?

No one knows for sure what people will say about them at their funeral. However, if you live your life to the fullest every day and strategically plan for your future, you will be more apt to become the person you want to be and achieve many of the things you want to do within your lifetime. But for that to happen you have to know what kind of legacy you want to create!  

Below is an exercise I created to help my clients take the first step towards creating the legacy they desire to leave behind.  Take some time over the next few days to complete this exercise.  If you don’t know how to begin, feel free to give me a call at 404-551-3601 and I’ll be glad to take a few minutes to help you.  I also have a more detailed coaching program if you are interested:  Creating Your Legacy – A Strategy Program.   If you are not yet ready for a full-blown coaching program, you can schedule a single ”2010 – Roadmap to Win Strategy Session” with no money up front.  It’s only $1.00 to hold your timeslot and you don’t have to pay for the meeting afterwards unless you felt it was a valuable use of your time (Seriously!!  I will only charge your credit card after the meeting if you say I can).

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“Begin Planning for the Life You Want” Exercise

Imagine that you are taking a walk in the park by yourself and out of the blue you hear a voice call your name. After looking around, but not seeing anyone you continue on – cautiously, but with a higher degree of awareness of what’s going on around you. A few seconds later you hear the voice again, followed by a flash of light. When you get your eyesight back you are on the top of a mountain with an Angel. After the shock wears off, you ask the Angel why you are here. He turns to you and says, “{your name here}, God has granted you the opportunity to stay on earth for a short while after you die to be with your loved ones during your funeral. They will not know you are there, but you will have the amazing privilege of being able to hear how they perceived your life by listening to the things they say and the stories they tell. God wants you to know this now so that you can begin creating your legacy today in preparation for the moment of your death.”

You are stunned and ask the Angel, “When will I die?” The angel replies, “I do not know. My role today is purely to inform you about your extended time on earth so you aren’t wondering why your soul is still here even though your body has died. In just a minute you will see another flash of light and then you will be back on the path where I met you. In your left pocket is a stone with the word “choice” on it [you quickly check your pocket, feel the stone, pull it out and smile]. This stone will be proof that our conversation happened, and will act as a reminder that you have the ability to create the legacy you want. From today forward, the possibilities of what your life could be are endless, as long as you are willing to invest in your life to make them happen.” The Angel then touches your shoulder, you see a flash of light, and a moment later you are back on the path in the park.

You step forward in amazement and look for a bench in order to understand what just happened. You then remember the stone, and reach into your pocket….it is still there just as the Angel promised. You are overjoyed and yet scared with the responsibility placed before you. Then you hear a whisper on the wind that says, “{Your Name Here}, the power to create your legacy has always resided inside you. Our meeting today just allowed that power to become real for you. Go forth, my child, and enjoy your life. I look forward to seeing you again on the other side.” You smile brightly and walk swiftly to your car filled with excitement about the life you plan on creating!

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Take some time this week to write a letter to yourself which represents the legacy you will have created by your 100th birthday. This letter should be written in the past tense as if already achieved, and include insights, milestones, a description of the person you have become, attitudes, feelings, world perspective, personal identity and reputation, the places you’ve visited, and the biggest contribution you made during your life, etc. Go into great detail, using as many of your five senses as you can in your descriptions. Tell the story of what happened and how your life affected everyone around you.

Letter to Self Which Describes the Legacy I Plan on
Achieving by my 100th Birthday

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I hope you enjoyed the story and the exercise above.  As I said earlier, feel free to contact me if you have any difficulties completing the “Begin Planning The Life You Want” exercise.

Enjoy the rest of your day, and don’t forget to keep your eyes open for all the amazing possibilities within and around you!

Sincerely,