Summer is coming to an end once more and we find ourselves immersed in the daily grind, wondering if this year will be different. We know about trying to live a good life and leaving a legacy, but practically speaking, we don’t know how to achieve this. A legacy is more than a once-and-done proposition, after all, and living out our legacy is hard if we are honest. Especially when we have lost the legacy that we were trying to build. Building a legacy that lasts might require recovering a lost legacy that was buried with life’s stresses and pressures.
Recovering a Lost Vision
No one sets out for failure. And no one intentionally wants to leave a legacy that is unfinished. But if we are not careful to remind ourselves of our vision, our legacy will be lost. Challenges will arise in this lifetime that threaten to snuff out our legacy. Hardship will come and go and leave us dizzy, wondering if we dare pick up where we left off before the storm rolled in. This is what makes recovering our lost vision so necessary. A vision is not our vision if it is not kept and upheld for us to work toward.
Recovering a Lost Mission
With our vision back in place and measures taken to help us protect our vision, we have our eyes on the mission of leaving a legacy that stands the test of time. We need to remind ourselves of why it matters and have benchmarks in place so we know that we are progressing toward our vision and mission. If you have never created vision or mission statements, read this article I wrote on ForbesBooks’ website and download the free template to use in helping you to create your family vision and mission statements. You can also use this template to create statements for personal or business purposes. Without a mission and vision, we live aimless lives and certainly don’t leave a legacy for others to follow in our footsteps.
Recovering a Lost Identity
Sometimes we get lost in the busyness of life that we simply forget who we are. I am not talking about amnesia, but what we are called to and whose we are in Christ. Our goals and dreams. And what drives us to want to leave a legacy in the first place. As our motivations for legacy-making are founded on God’s principles, we walk in our true identity rather than chasing after the world’s empty identities. Every part of our legacy should be founded on what we believe and the faith we want to impart. In this way, we leave a legacy that is authentic.
Recovering a Lost Legacy
Have you lost sight of the vision and mission that are part of the legacy you are crafting? Sometimes we find our legacy by losing it. We realize what is really important to us. And maybe the lessons that we learn in this life help to actually shape our legacy, after all.
“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25, NIV).
Yours for a Thriving Legacy,
Jeff Rogers
