The DNA of A Legacy

BY KEISHA JOHNSON 

As a youngster, I remember being mesmerized by a statement Bob Marley made in an interview at the height of his career. He had simply said this, “If my life is just for me and my own security, I don’t want it.” His precursor to that statement was, “My life is for people.”

I did not understand the depth of that conviction to Bob at the time, but his words and the matter-of-fact manner in which he said them pierced me.

On every continent, in every postmodern generation, Bob Marley is synonymous with reggae music. He is the Father of Reggae. The pulsating sounds of Bob’s reggae pulls you into a groove and his signature lyrical parables stir you to rethink the seemingly obvious. Rich with social commentary that gives a voice to the marginalized, Bob’s repertoire remains current even in the ebb and flow of pop music trends today.

He was only thirty six when he died thirty four years ago. Yet his legacy is as alive today as if he were still with us. In fact, just this October, passengers stuck underground in a New York disabled E-train, chanted tunes of Bob alongside current chart toppers, The Weeknd and Drake as they encouraged themselves in the circumstances. A few days earlier, Marlon James became the first Jamaican to win the Man Booker Prize for his novel on the attempted assassination on Bob’s life.

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing,” Benjamin Franklin once said.  Bob’s life epitomized this charge and encourages us to believe that legacy is not an elitist construct for a select few.

We all have creative power. Which means we each have ability. The ability to contribute and make a difference.

So what legacy are you now creating? What do you want to be remembered for?  What contribution will you make in your lifetime to transform or just touch the life of others? What is your passion? What are your strengths? What do the people who know you, say you are good at? What are you doing with it and about it?

These are some of the questions legacy evokes.

Zero in on your ability and your strengths and pursue them. Build on them and identify how you can use your unique gifts or talents and personal strengths to serve others.

This is the key. Service to others.

My mentor Alvin Day suggests a good place to start is to find a void in people’s life that you can identify with and fill it.  Then proceed with the end in mind. In other words, know the impact you want to make or the outcome you want to achieve. Put that in one simple statement. I want to … Let that impact guide your actions when you set out each day.

If you don’t, life can become adrift much like a ship set to sail with no specific destination in mind and no captain at the helm. Where that ship goes is wherever the wind and current takes it. It is at the mercy of whatever conditions it finds itself in.

What’s so wrong with that? You may ask.

My grandaunt often cautioned, “A rolling stone gathers no moss”. Drifting implies you are existing without purpose, you’ve yielded control to whomever, whatever. You’ve personally checked out and very little of you if any is personally invested in what you do or where you are or are going. How then can you find fulfillment or any satisfaction or sense of worth or pride in something if it means nothing to you? And if you don’t, what will inspire others to value you?

Reflect for a second on some of the most enduring brands in any industry. Among those, pick the ones you trust or prefer. The fact that you and I and our neighbors choose one brand without a second thought over another is not by default. The creators behind those brands, whether it be pop stars, smartphones, household products or automobiles, were intentional to meet a need, satisfy a want, serve a niche, and constantly surpass their own highest standards to ensure they remain yours and my first choice among the competition.

Their success suggest it is folly to leave legacy creation to chance. If we do, it makes room for the old adage to reign true, ‘if you fail to plan, then plan to fail’.

To stay on track ask yourself often, how is what I am doing now helping me to make that impact? Find an accountability partner and check in with them regularly and honestly. Keep positive reinforcement before you. One of mine is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night.”

The death trap that catches many of us off guard is spelt d.i.s.t.r.a.c.t.i.o.n. It makes you lose traction. It derails you, delays you, frustrates you, robs you and takes you off course.

How many companies have suffered for over diversifying their core business? How many people do you know who are frustrated and unfulfilled from pursuing dreams that were someone else’s or from lingering in misfit careers or relationships?

Find your course, your fit, so you will have the passion to thrive even in the tough times.

Two days after Bob was shot in the arm and chest in the 1976 assassination attempt on his life, he appeared on stage for a live concert and later reportedly said, “The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?”  

Challenges and setbacks are inevitable. They are your stepping stones.  Presidents and Prime Ministers have said it this way, “success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” Ancient wisdom encourages us to consider it pure joy when we experience trails of many kinds because tests and trials build patience. Patience builds maturity to continue the race and finish it strong.

Legacy is within your DNA. But it is an intentional pursuit. It is a lifestyle. It must come natural. Its fuel is passion, and its mission is service to others. Let your efforts count for more than a pay check or financial gain and your life will outlive you. Live your legacy.