Your Legacy is Now
Life is not a search for meaning from others, it’s about the creation of meaning for yourself.
For over 30 years Alan Weiss has consulted, coached, and advised everyone from Fortune 500 executives, state governors, non-profit directors, and entrepreneurs to athletes, entertainers, and beauty pageant contestants. That’s quite an assortment of people, and they run into the thousands. Most of them have had what we euphemistically call “means,” and some of them have had a lot more than that. Others have been aspiring and with more ends in sight than means on hand.
Alan Weiss states:
I’ve dealt with esteem (low), narcissism (high), family problems, leadership dysfunctions, insecurities, addictions, and ethical quandaries. And I’ve talked about them through the coronavirus crisis. But don’t get the wrong idea. About 95% of these people have been well-meaning, honest (to the best of their knowledge), and interested in becoming a better person and better professional. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking to me.
I found the equivalent of the “runner’s wall” in their journeys, where they must break through the pain and the obstacles and then can keep going with renewed energy and spirit. But runners know how far they must go after the breakthrough, be it another half lap or another five miles. There is a finish line.
I’ve found that people in all positions, even after the “breakthrough,” don’t know where they are in the race, let alone where the finish line is.
They do not know what meaning is for them. They may have money in the bank, good relationships, the admiration of others, and the love of their dogs. But they have no metrics for “What now?” They believe that at the end of life there is a tallying, some metaphysical accountant who totals up their contributions, deducts their bad acts, and creates the (hopefully positive) difference.
That difference, they believe, is their “legacy.”
But the thought that legacy arrives at the end of life is as ridiculous as someone who decides to sell a business and tries to increase its valuation the day prior. Legacy is now. Legacy is daily. Every day we create the next page in our lives, but the question becomes who is writing it and what’s being written. Is someone else creating our legacy? Or are we, ourselves, simply writing the same page repeatedly?
Or do we leave it blank?
Our organic, living legacy is marred and squeezed by huge normative pressures. There is a “threshold” point, at which one’s beliefs and values are overridden by immense peer pressure. Our metrics are forced to change.
In an age of social media, biased press, and bullying, we’ve come to a point where our legacy, ironically, is almost out of our hands.
Yet our “meaning”—our creation of meaning and not a search for some illusive alchemy—creates worth and impact for us and all those with whom we interact.
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michael cardus
White German Shepherd.
This example is a great one of people need to be exposed and increase what they have knowledge of. You do not know what you don’t know.
For organizations and people to change their perspectives they must be accepting that they do not know everything and also accept that there is more to learn.
With volatility it was great how you explained the more specialized a system becomes and an organism the more likely it is to suffer from a change /volatility. Once an organism evolves to accept and deal with a continuum of volatility the greater its chances of survival.
Alan Weiss
Well said. And I remind you that Paul, the octopus, has predicted every single World Cup playoff game correctly to this point.
Tim Wilson
Alan,
A factoid you might of might not have known according to CEO Magazine you drive one of the most beautiful cars check it out.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/07/most-beautiful-cars-lifestyle-vehicles-autos_slide_12.html
Alan Weiss
Thanks, Tim. In December I should take possession of my custom-designed Bentley Supersport, 0-60 in 3.7, and about a third of a million. That would place it amongst the very top, especially of cars you can drive daily.
Tim Wilson
Alan,
To satisfy my curiosity I went out to the Bentley website to get an idea of your new purchase and all I can say is its one heck of a Christmas present.
Alan Weiss
They let me test drive a touring sample of one (they are not available here yet, but can be ordered). It is discernably faster than my GTC Speed, which is 602HP and 0-60 in 4.4. It’s a rocket, yet over two tons and eminently drivable in low gears. They placed two neat grills in the hood and changed the grill work. Four-wheel drive, dual turbo-charged 12. Only a handful of cars could give me a problem, and they are all 2-seaters, unusable in the winter, often very uncomfortable, no luggage space to speak of.
Gogo
Alan,
Really great video!
The first of these I’ve watched. I’m sure I’ll find to go through all the episodes soon.
What’s your process for weaving in such a mix of ‘story’ and content into your still-brief videos?
This lesson on volatility is one of the most important ‘competencies’ that individuals and organizations are going to need going forward.
I’ve personally set myself on a course of increasing study and exploration of “uncertainty management”.
Alan Weiss
Thanks, Gogo. I just talk about what’s on my mind, trying to make it helpful and relevant for watchers.