What is your legacy? Should you write a book?

Soon I’ll start a new journal for a new month. I like to start each month with a new journal to help me focus on my goals, desires, intentions and vision. 

It’s like having a fresh start and a new perspective.

I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy. I am pondering what if I died today what would I want others to know about me? What would I leave behind that has any relevance in the whole scheme of things? Is my legacy even something I want to leave behind when I am dead or does it live in the everyday moments when I have touched others lives in some way?

Will you or I be remembered at all? Does it even matter?

When everyday words come up I like to go and research them to see if there is any new light for me to muse on. I read this and rather liked it:-

Legacy late 14c., legacie, “body of persons sent on a mission,” from Medieval Latin legatia, from Latin legatus” ambassador, envoy, deputy,” noun use of past participle of legare “send with a commission, appoint as deputy, appoint by a last will”

How lovely, I thought to be here on a mission and to be sent to Earth with a commission. Rather than think morbidly about what you leave behind when you are completely gone.

Many people want to write books because they want to leave a legacy, I’d like to reframe that to be a living legacy.

To share their mission while they are still here and to impact others with their written words.

I have no children, no partner or lover. There are friends I don’t see often enough. There are books and blogs that I publish and journal entries that I write will probably have burned long before they are possibly read. Most likely on a full moon when it’s a good time for letter go. Perhaps my books and blogs will be simply consigned to the rubbish when I am gone, without anyone to keep them going.

Who will own my content and who will want to keep it going or preserve my website and musings when I am returned to dust? With no one to pay for my hosting or to complete my Amazon non-resident tax form, how long will my books remain available? (I will find out and let you know.) 

But why would anyone want to keep my content alive? Why would I care? Surely there is someone else to pick up the baton – the commission?

My 59^th birthday is around the corner and while I don’t feel that this is the end of the line, life can end abruptly.

I have no particular bucket list, places I want to visit, sights to behold, my journey is within. That’s partly why I write. I also write to leave a living legacy because I want to inspire others to write, heal and to inspire others to heal and grow.

How many times in just the last year have you been interacting with someone online who seemed so full of life to hear that they are now gone? Just like that. I feel like I want to touch the screen and for my hand to be able to feel their warm skin. We have so many friends because of the Internet. There are people all over the world that we meet because of this web of technology. Their stories stored (and possibly preserved) in some corner of a hard drive or on some not so divine cloud.

When friends pass, their Facebook pages stay around to remind us of the stuff we might have done together and I admit that although that makes me sad it also fills my heart. They are not gone, not really, they came on a commission, they had a mission, and now it’s fulfilled. Everyone leaves behind some of their essence in some way. 

Part of my legacy is how well I have lived my life. How well I have served my commission on Earth. I feel it is how well I have served as a human – my kindness and compassion.

I wanted once to write a novel and for it to be made into a film. It was a delightful dream and I enjoyed the fun of visualising it and fantasising what dress I’d wear to the Oscars. The only way I’d have a chance of this being my legacy is if I get my finger out and write that book. Phew!

After writing about legacy today, I’ve changed my mind about writing a book for when you are gone. I’d like you to consider writing a book so that it is your living legacy and a part of your mission – now.

What if you could take your lessons, challenges and gifts and turn them into a book that would help others to ‘survive’ current stormy waters. How would that be?

Not everyone wants to write a book to help them heal or to heal the world.  But I do believe that many people have inspiring messages that are very relevant for where humanity finds itself.

I’m interested in how you have grown from your experience and how that learning can support the rest of us, while you are here.

This year might have been as Elvis Costello once sang – a bad year for the roses. But our legacy is how we raised our vibration to meet our challenges and how we go on to impact those around us.

One of the reasons I love words and helping others to shape their words into books is that the process of writing helps us to heal our wounds and when our words reach others hearts, they too can begin to heal or heal some more.

This is my legacy. Not what I leave behind when I am dust and stars, but the trail I leave behind when I am alive. 

My mission, my legacy, my life’s commission is to support you on this journey to turn your gifts and challenges, your life and lessons into neat packages of love (called books) that you leave for others to consume and find something of what they are looking for.

What is your living legacy?

What do you do each day that leaves a trail? What is your mission? What is your life’s commission?

Should you write a book?

What should anyone do? Only you will know if writing a book is for you and what kind of book. You can write a book to heal that no one ever sees, one that you publish for family and friends, one that you use to share your story so that you can inspire others and one that does all of these things and around which you build a business – the business of helping others to heal, change and grow.

Legacy is not about being famous, it is about being ordinary, yet extraordinary. That legacy and your mission might be that you are a leadership coach, a therapist, CEO, engineer, bookkeeper, cleaner, consultant, mechanic, mum, dad, carer, dog groomer or a million and one roles we play. The label is not important, what you do, how you do it and the lives you touch is.

What is your legacy and should you write a book?

Everyone has a story, but not everyone thinks that their story is worthy of a book. I hear stories every day and some will be driven to create change,  write a book and impact others. 

Others will show me their work and never believe in themselves enough publish. Too often I have seen handwritten scripts that never go further than the journal they are scribbled in. That saddens me, but I understand.

For the ones who know their mission, are driven to put their words down, to speak to others hearts through a book then yes, write your book and make sure that those that need your words can read them, not when you are dead, but now while you are living your legacy.

When you want more:

1. Take a look at Write Your Book Program or the online course
2. Grab a copy of my book Plan your non-fiction book in a weekend on Amazon