When we focus on people who make a huge historical impact-presidents,
visionary artists, great spiritual leaders-we sometimes forget that we,
too, are making history and influencing the future with the way we live
our lives.
This is obvious if we just look at our own parents and how the way they
lived affected us. In the best case, we received lessons from them or
other mentors that have empowered us. On the other hand, we may have
decided to depart dramatically from the way they conducted their lives.
If so, then their mistakes and shortcomings were catalysts for us to
change old familial patterns. Either way, their way of being determined
the course of our future. By the same token, our actions determine the
course of the future for others, and those who follow us will remember
us as part of their history.
In light of this, it is good to ask ourselves what our legacy will be.
We have all heard stories about family members we may or may not have
known; sometimes it is their humor that shines through in others'
memories, or their contagious positive energy, or their skill in
managing the family assets. People outside our immediate family may
have changed the course of our lives as well-a teacher who encouraged
and inspired us; a neighbor who helped us in a time of need; or even a
stranger who came to our aid in a difficult situation. When we remember
these people, we realize that however small our daily lives seem, they
are actually very important. How we treat people in each moment, with
each interaction, can have a major impact.
It helps to begin our days with an acknowledgement of this fact, taking
a moment to consider how we want to be in the world and how powerful we
really are. We must remember that our lives are not meaningless--quite
the opposite. Every day we have an opportunity to "make history" and
influence the future for the better.