Maya Angelou said, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
Whenever I spend time with memories from my past, it’s the way I felt that I remember the most.
We are not responsible for other people’s feelings. And they are not responsible for our feelings. How we feel about anything is always our choice.
But we are also responsible for who we are and the actions we take.
When life is putting pressure on us, when things become hard and our beliefs, and foundations, and sense of security are challenged, we have a choice on how we show up.
Oprah quotes Maya Angelou telling her that “your legacy is every life you touch”.
I think it’s safe to say that how you will be remembered is your legacy.
When you combine Mayas words about legacy being every life you touch, and that out of the lives you’ve touched, they will remember how you made them feel.
Do you inspire others or do you enable them?
Do you create space for belonging, or do you foster feelings of rejection in others?
Do you infuse hope, or are you spreading fear?
Do you accept differences or do you pass judgement?
Do you see how hard they are trying, or do you blame them for what went wrong?
In every moment you have control over the legacy you will leave behind.