BB Grey–musings

Prompt of the Day: What’s the Legacy You Want to Leave Behind?

Legacy? Sounds like something for kings, tech moguls, or that rich uncle who left you his vintage comic collection in his will. Merriam-Webster’s first definition agrees: legacy’s just cash or stuff you pass down. Snooze. But the second definition? That’s the juice—a lasting impact from your actions, your life. That’s the vibe I’m chasing, not some stuffy monarch’s crown.

Stephen Covey’s got this killer exercise to cut through the noise. Picture your funeral (cheery, right?). As folks shuffle up to the mic, what do you want them to say about you? No fluff, just the raw truth. He breaks it down to three voices: a coworker, a community member, and a family member. Each one’s a slice of you—workplace you, public you, and the real-deal home you. What do they say? That’s your legacy, no filter.

For me, it boils down to three words: charitable, loving, fair. I want my coworkers to say I gave a damn—helped out, shared the load, didn’t hog the office snacks. Community? I want them to remember me as the guy who showed up, cared, and didn’t act like a sanctimonious jerk. Family? That’s where it gets raw—I want them to say I loved hard, fought fair, and was their rock, no matter what.

The “fruits” of that—donations, relationships, maybe a few life lessons stuck in someone’s head? That’s just gravy. We don’t always control the outcome, but we sure as hell control who we are day-to-day. That’s the legacy that sticks, like glitter you can’t vacuum up.

If I’m lucky, when I’m kicking it with the Big Guy upstairs, I’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” If that’s not your jam, cool—just be the you that you’d be proud to hear folks talk about when you’re gone. Start with the end in mind, and make it count.