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.
Simon
Hi Alan,
I recently stayed at the Marriot, it was nice, but perhaps over priced. Next time I believe I will stay in Darling Harbour.
I do however, recommend having dinner at Aria, food is superb, with wonderful views of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. If it is a weekend meal, I would book well in advance.
Simon
Aria restaurant – the link is here http://www.ariarestaurant.com
Alan Weiss
I’ve been to Aria many times, I like it as well.
Ric Willmot
I’m in Sydney each week and I stay mainly at the InterContinental. You’ve held your MDCC there before.
The Quay Grand has great suites and I stay there about once a month, usually when I’m with family. But the meeting rooms may not be as you need. If you want to e-mail your must-haves for the meeting rooms I can take a look next week when I am at the Quay Grand and give you a comparison to what you used at the InterC.
Rgds,
Ric
Alan Weiss
Thanks, simply 30 people in classroom seating. What do you think of the Shangri-la?
Ric Willmot
Shangri-La is equivalent in standard to the InterContinental and not far away (over at The Rocks area) but parking is a nuisance. Not that parking is really a concern for your attendees. Club Floor is more appealing at InetrC because you can smoke a cigar, which you cannot do at the Club Floor of the S-L.
The conference rooms at Grand Quay have no windows or view, so like the InterC, there’s no external stimulation. I’m also not convinced that the conference rooms staff will have the level of customer service you would be used to.
Are you not considering returning to the Park Hyatt on the water?
Alan Weiss
Park Hyatt is closed for renovations, or I’d be there.