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.
Lucien Canton
Dammit, Alan – you’ve got the women of my household going all dewy-eyed and oohing and ahhing all over the place. Welcome to your new friend!
Peter McLean
Classy. It fits him. He’s a gorgeous puppy.
Dave Gardner
Alan…what breed is Bentley?
All the best…Dave
Linda Popky
What a sweet dog! A new puppy in the household is always an exciting time. Enjoy him!
Alan Weiss
Bentley is a purebred German Shepherd. He is, obviously, white. Since I’ve investigated more carefully than I did acquiring Koufax (we were lucky), I’ve found that white Shepherds are not rare, that if classified as a separate breed they’d be 41st most popularity among 142 registered AKC breeds. We are of course registering him with the AKC as well as the German Shepherd Club and White German Shepherd Club (I may have the names wrong). White Shepherds are subject to fewer genetic vulnerabilities than black and tan Shepherds, I’m told.
Finally, a doctor around here is a big deal judge at Westminster, and his wife told me in my wife’s boutique that white Shepherds are a defect and hurt the breed. I then explained to her how she was hurting the human breed. Store personnel then dragged her away, sputtering. So having Bentley drive by her in my Bentley is just another great aspect of this dog.
Noah Fleming
Great name. It suits him.
John Martin
One animal is a defect and it isn’t the dog.
I can’t believe someone would say that and genuinely believe they have a valid argument. Nuts, total nuts.
Alan Weiss
Dog people (who show and judge dogs) are extremely bizarre, and I think most should be arrested for animal cruelty. Watch the satire, “Best in Show.” It’s not far from the truth!
Noah Fleming
So true! While watching the dog show last week my wife and I were cracking up at how close it was to the movie.
Who can forget two left feet?
Dan Weedin
Congratulations!
Alan Weiss
He’s completely acclimated and house trained. Passed his first exam at the vet with flying colors. (Buddy, as usual, hit the treat jar.)
Raj
“I then explained to her how she was hurting the human breed.”
LOL.
Gorgeous, handsome little fellow. Bentley is a great name.
Jim Achuff
Welcome Bentley! My Starbuck says “Welcome” too! BTW, UKC recognizes white shepherds as an independent breed.
Alan Weiss
Bentley thanks you all!