Over the past few months I've been contemplating a major transition in my life with bittersweet feelings about the change. As you know I'm all about personal growth but with growth also coming growing pains and with transition comes loss in order to gain. As I prepared myself and those around me about the potential change I was overwhelmed with emotion thinking about the end of a loved chapter in my life. And as I shared my feelings with a friend she gave me a glimpse into my legacy. She reminded me of my role in building the foundation, of adding structure and purpose to the things I would leave behind. She spoke of my dedication and passion for making it work and putting into things as much as I was expecting to pull out. She assured me that the fact that God was releasing me to move forward meant I had strengthen things enough that they could live on without me and she reminded me of how great it will feel to come back and stand proud as I witness the growth of what I had started. And I was comforted.

 It's always hard to leave behind people, places, and things that have bring us joy. The friends you leave behind after graduation, the co-workers you will no longer see everyday when you switch jobs, and the family you depended on so much who will stay when you move away. We dread leaving these things behind, promise that we'll stay in touch, and try to continue what we've always done. But, reality says that when it's time for something to end it undoubtedly will and something new will begin. It's in these moments, like the comments in a yearbook, where you get a glimpse into how you'll be remembered; into the impact you had on the lives of those around you. And when you're fortunate enough to have these experiences, embrace them and grow knowing that you are building legacy each and every day.  

The past 30 days have been a whirlwind as I've made some decisions about major changes in my life. Transition is on the horizon and in just a few short weeks I've gone from hesitant and reserved to ready to jump in with both feet. It's been a lot to take in and, to be honest, I hadn't been able to get my thoughts together long enough to blog or write. But I'm here with you today with some insight on taking the first step.

Now I that have a clear vision for my life and the legacy I want to leave behind my eyes are more open to opportunity. It doesn't take much for me to recognize if something, or someone, fits into that vision and whether I should put effort and time into something. For the first time, in a very long time, I am excited and anxious all at the same time as I anticipate the great new things in store for me but nothing seemed to be happening until I took the first step. Usually I'm a person who likes to know all the details before I make a move but I've learned that greatness always comes with risk and I can't allow the fear of that risk to hold me back.

Think about a staircase. You are at the bottom and your destination is at the top. If the staircase is short and you can see the top taking those steps is no big deal, you can move forward without much thought. But if that staircase is long and steep and you cannot see the top it's not so easy to start stepping. Maybe it's dark up there, you don't really know what's up there, you don't even know how far you have to go to get to the top. As you stand at the bottom you have a choice: stay or take the first step. You can stay at the bottom where you care comfortable and familiar and settle for where you are or you can take that first step, then another and another, one step at a time, until you reach your destination. The choice is YOURS.    

The media is hands-down the most influential communication tool known to man. Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, social networks, and the internet tell us everything about anything we want to know wherever and whenever we want. And, for the most part, we take it at face value. That’s a lot of power! In some cases the media has sole responsibility for keeping us informed and, if we take no initiative to learn more, what it shows us is all we know.

For example, our nation is in the midst of presidential campaigns. Very often the extents of understanding some citizens have of candidates is limited to what they see of them in the media. Sounds bites, video clips, and statements are edited that often slant what is presented to meet the agenda of the editor but we accept it to be true, and even use it to dictate our voting decisions. All of this while forgetting one simple fact: mass media is a business. Revenue is produced with every magazine and newspaper we buy, with every commercial we hear and/or watch, and with every click of our keyboard to read or post a story. An eye-catching headline and half a storyline are all it really takes to draw us in as the media spoon feeds us whatever they want us to know.

So what does this have to do with purpose and legacy? A lot if you let it! The way we see the world around us directly impacts how we feel about ourselves whether for out benefit or our detriment. How we feel about ourselves then dictates our actions, what drives us, and what we desire; and it is those things that we teach the generations coming behind us. This, my friends, is what builds our legacies. So if legacy is built upon our actions, and our actions are based on how we see ourselves, and how we see ourselves is determined by how we see the world around us then whatever determines how we see the world around us has great responsibility. It’s a responsibility the media is founded on, the job of telling you “the news”. It’s a responsibility others will gladly take and use to their own advantage. Take a minute to think about the last thing you read, shared, or posted in the media. Is it consistent with your Journey to Legacy? Yes? Great! No? Change it!     

If you follow this blog you’ve learned by now that we all have a legacy. Your legacy is who you are. It is everything you have shown yourself to the world to be, whether good or bad. It is the example you set; your words, your actions, the lessons you’ve learned and the lessons you’ve taught. Your legacy is how you will be remembered and the pieces of you that will be left behind. But, did you know that your legacy have eyes? Both figuratively and literally, let’s consider this idea.

The figurative eyes of your legacy are pretty simple to understand. We know that everything starts in the mind where, hopefully, you can “see” yourself being all the things you want to be. It is with the figurative eyes of your legacy that you cast the vision for your life and you begin to draft the plan for how it will be done. Whatever your goal you must first it with your figurative eyes. You see yourself healthy, successful, famous, or even 30 pounds lighter. You see your children grown up, your career advanced, or your life better than it has ever been in the past. Whatever the vision, you “see” it first then you walk towards it. Those are the figurative eyes.

The literal eyes of your legacy are twofold. The first is your very own physical eyes. After you’ve seen with your figurate eyes also seeing with your physical eyes can keep you motivated. So you may have a vision board or post pictures of the things you aspire to be and have. You may look to people who have already obtained what you desire to examine their lives and how they got to where you want to be. As your physical eyes become exposed to the reality of your dreams your legacy continues to build and to grow and everyone around you can see it. That is the second part of the literal eyes of your legacy: people. If your legacy is how the world sees and remembers you then the eyes of those around are essential. It is their interpretation and understanding of who you are and why you do what you do that shapes the memory of you that will be left behind. These are the eyes that we can’t control because behind them lies the experiences and agendas of others. We can, however, ensure that we stick to the vision with an expectation that all will work for our good.

With all these eyes involved it’s evident that someone is always watching. There is always a set of eyes observing and evaluating what you do. At this very moment as you read this blog post your very own eyes are evaluating the impact of what you’ve read. Do you believe it? Will you apply it? Do you really understand what’s been written? Can you actually see what it is you really want to see or does negative thinking cast a shadow that blinds you? Eyes are always there, everywhere, and it is up to you to determine what they see.

Have you ever watched children play? They run around without a care imagining adventures and seeing the whole world through innocent eyes. They have no concern for race, culture, or religion, socioeconomic status or political opinions. They just enjoy the moments being shared with their peers and optimistically expect that what happens next will be just as fun. I envy their minds.

Children are the models for positive thinking. Before life teaches them about heartache, pain, and disappointment all they see is good things. Until they’ve been lied to they believe everything they hear. Until they’ve been deceived they believe everything they see. Until they’ve tried and failed they believe that all their dreams can come true and that one day they will have everything their little hearts hope for and no one can tell them otherwise. They believe without evidence, they are forgiving, they find joy in even things.

But for us who have experienced life, who have seen the ups and downs of the emotional rollercoaster called living, for us things aren’t quite that simple. It is a struggle to ignore the past so we can have great hope for the future. It is difficult to push away negative thoughts, such as doubt and fear of failure, because we know the risks are great and the results are unpredictable. But if we can find a way to tap into our inner selves, the children we once were who had faith that anything is possible, then maybe, just maybe, we can conquer our own worlds.