Legacy

I lost a mentor last month. I was fortunate enough to attend Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia growing up and we had a youth minister during my entire middle school and high school years. If you are a church goer you would know how rare it is to have one youth minister for that long.

Bruce Edwards was at our church from 1973 until I graduated high school in 1986. He loved youth! He loved teaching us how to serve and the importance of faith. He showed us how to love unconditionally and without judgement. He believed we were capable of anything we wanted. He served us so well and made such an impact in my life. Bruce's purpose was his ability to see the potential in young people and to help them fulfill their God-given destinies. Even after he left our church his entire career was helping youth see their potential. He affected thousands of lives and he loved his job. He has left such a legacy.

His loss has had me thinking if I am doing all I can. I know he would love that his legacy triggers us to think about ours! Over the last several weeks, I have thought a lot about the following questions and how I would hope they would be answered.

What do you want your life to stand for?

• To me, legacy is not something we leave at the end of our life. The truth is that we create legacies with every single action that we take. It is how we choose to live our lives on a daily basis. It is about the impression that we make. We have all heard the saying that we do not remember events, but we remember how we “feel” about events. You might not truly know how you make someone feel, but your actions can influence someone’s perception.

• I have thought about this one a lot, and I would like for people to be better for having encountered me. I want them to feel heard, trusted, loved, and capable.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” - Charles Dickens

How do you want to be remembered by your family and friends?

• Our family and our friends are the people we love most dearly. We hope our relationships add value and leave a lasting impact. Think about what you would like your family and friends to remember about you when you are gone.

• As I reflect on Bruce's legacy one of the statements I made that was repeated by hundreds of others whose lives he influenced was the same - He loved us so well! He had complete faith in us and loved us unconditionally.

• I hope that those who I come across feel the same way. It is amazing to have someone in your life that believes you can accomplish anything. I want my family and friends to remember that I always made time for them, encouraged them, cheered them on, and loved them unconditionally.

“Legacy. What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” - Lin-Manuel Miranda

What contributions do you want to make to your industry or from your career?

• Our careers are often central to our contribution to the world and we can make a lasting impact through our work. I have grown up in healthcare. Today, healthcare is such a mess and so hard to navigate. I have the opportunity to implement and improve upon technology every day. That is pretty cool! We have a long way to go to catch up with other industries, but I am confident we will get there. I hope that I am able to see a much better path for patients during my lifetime and that my work contributes to thatsuccess.

• I believe mentoring is another area where I can make a big impact. I have been so fortunate to have so many great mentors in my life and I know what a difference it can make. I am excited that in my current role, I have the opportunity to mentor others and pass on my knowledge. Bringing a fresh perspective to a situation, or encouraging someone that needs a bit of validation to build confidence is so rewarding. Since I have walked in their shoes, chances are I faced a similar challenge.

“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” – Billy Graham

What lessons would you like to pass on to future generations?

• Out of all the lessons Bruce taught our youth group his primary mission was to ensure that we understood our purpose was to glorify God in all we do. I am a work in progress, but I hope others do see His goodness through the way I live.

• The older we become the more we realize how complicated we made living in our youth. Here are a few things I have learned that I would want to pass on to my younger self:

  1. Serve in ways that bring you joy. Joy is infectious and others will want to be a part of it.

  2. Develop you talents, strengths, and skills. It will serve you and others well.

  3. There is never only one way to solve a problem. Looks at all your options and think outside the box.

  4. Do what matters now. Life goes by fast.

  5. Bring your best self every day - whether its work, family, community, etc.

  6. Eat well, play hard, and take naps.

“Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people.” - Peter Strople

Have you thought about your legacy? I know many of you are parents, and are raising children, others have created businesses, and some may be single like me . Your circumstances may influence your responses to the questions, but in the end I think we would all agree that we want to make a difference and leave a legacy or impression that would make us proud.

Until next time..... - Leigh