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.
Shaan
On the Chinese economy number–while it is large, it is worth noting that economists and the Chinese gov’t worries about growth that isn’t proceeding at at least 9-10% (on the fear that less will increase social instability), which it had been at for years until the last quarter of 2008. On the upside, 7.9% is significantly better than the last two quarters.
Alan Weiss
That’s right, and it’s important that emerging economies are experiencing positive growth. Moreover, China is our major debt holder and its growth is important to us.
Ed Kless
It is certainly good news. I am hopeful that this is all real growth and not just attributable to the beginnings of inflation caused by the Feds printing more money.
If it is real, I wonder if we can rescind the stimulus bills since most of that money is not spent yet?
Alan Weiss
Stop seeing danger in the shadows! If it’s bad news when the market goes down, and bad news when it goes up, you’re going to have a tough life!
Ed Kless
Ahh, to clarify, I do not think it is bad news when the market goes down per se. Markets have to allow for corrections. Companies that do stupid things should go out of business. Perhaps this was too nuanced a point for comments in a blog.
I am and always have been optimistic in the creativity and long term outlook of business and indeed humankind.
PS – I still would like a recall on the stimulus bills!
Alan Weiss
My point was don’t see bad news in the market going UP!
John Shaver
Alan,
I don’t think that Ed is saying that he sees bad news in the market going up. Rather, he is asking the question: Is the recent up turn based on reality (meaning that business is picking up) or is it based on an illusion based on the Fed injecting cash into the system?
My gauge of the economy’s health is based on how well our customers are doing. And I can tell you that everything I see is picking back up. Customers are interested in resuming projects in a big way and quality prospects are becoming more plentiful.
So, yes, I totally agree with you that we are on the up swing.
Alan Weiss
Thanks, John. I’d add to that that I see the more innovative, bold, and confident clients/customers doing the best.