Legacy

Reflections on a life well-lived

“The greatest purpose in life is to live it for something that will last longer than you.” –William James (father of modern Psychology)

Yesterday, my wife, Susan, retired from her work as a talent acquisition specialist. For over thirteen years she has worked for an international non-profit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for the poorest children on the planet. They serve over two million children in 29 countries. She’s found a lot of personal satisfaction in playing what some might consider a small but significant role in a mission-driven organization making a real impact in the world.

With patience and persistence, she has been committed to helping hiring managers find, select and retain the right people who can help further that mission. There are hundreds of people working in the organization now who might otherwise be elsewhere.

I’m reminded of that great line from the movie Miracle. After a rather abrupt selection process for the 1980 Olympic hockey team, an official from the governing body confronts coach Herb Brooks, “But you left out some of the best players!” As he was getting in his car he replied, “I’m not looking for the best players. I’m looking for the right ones.” That’s been Susan’s perspective, day in and day out, since day one.

At her retirement party earlier this week, I was really moved by the impact she has made, and not just at the organizational level. She was recognized by her colleagues for her work ethic, her attention to detail, but especially her discernment and wisdom.

The comments she received, both verbally and in writing, hit at the heart of today’s topic. “I learned so much from you.” “I’ll never forget the advice you gave me.” “You have served our team so well over these years, we can’t thank you enough.” There were people there for whom she had fought, sometimes having to convince a hiring manager not to ignore a diamond in the rough. “This place has changed my life and I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t advocated for me.”

As you can tell, I’m so proud of her, particularly because I know that behind the scenes, it hasn’t been easy. I’ve seen her commitment and resolve to find and put forth people who share the cultural values and priorities of the mission, especially when a hiring manager became enamored with a candidate who obviously didn’t have those values. I’ve seen her fight for “women with competence” who were up against “men with confidence.” Her sense of fairness compelled her to speak up when it would have been easier to go along. Unfortunately for some, she’s just not wired that way!

Speaker Peter Strople has said, “Legacy is not leaving something behind for other people. It’s leaving something behind in other people.” Long after people have forgotten her, the people she helped place will be furthering the cause for which she invested the best years of her life.

At this stage of life, there is an inevitable focus on personal finances. Do we have enough? Will it last? Thanks to the way interest compounds, consistent investment over many years yields better results than heroic efforts in the last few years.

There is a compounding effect to legacy as well. When we invest in people and they in turn invest in others, our impact is far greater than the initial group with who we connected. The compounding effect for Susan might not register mathematically, but I’m confident it will continue to register in the organization’s impact for years to come.

When the topic is about people of immense talent or wealth or influence, we think of legacy as “how they will be remembered.” The truth is, it doesn’t matter if people forget us. How we will be remembered, our reputations, I believe these are actually irrelevant and not worth the mental energy to consider. Fame and notoriety are dangerous cocktails for the ego that we are better off without. The only thing that matters is what we’ve left behind in the lives of others.

Many of you are doing the same thing, every day. Consistently and steadily, you’re doing what you can to impact others. It might be with immediate family, at work, or in a volunteer role. I’m on a mission to restore the role of “elder” to our communities, in an age when age and experience are most often equated with irrelevance. Your impact is essential to life, and I hope you will persevere—even when you get weary.

Know that if you’re doing what you can, when you can, in whatever way you can, I’m proud of you and want to remind you that yours is a life well lived!

Drop your comments below and as always, reach out if I can support you in any way.