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What's Your Legacy?

Last night I had the privilege of hearing Dr. David Suzuki and Mr. Jeff Rubin speak at my alma mater, Wilfrid Laurier University here in Waterloo, Ontario.  Suzuki, the legendary environmental advocate, and Rubin, former chief economist for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), have paired up to discuss their shared belief that a sustainable future here on our little blue planet must be found where ecology and economics intersect.

Suzuki made the compelling illustration that in relative terms, if we were to shrink the Earth to the size of a basketball, the biosphere - the region of land, water and air in which living organisms can survive - is about equivalent to the thickness of a layer of saran wrap around that basketball.  We're in a pretty delicate cradle, huh?  

A rule of thumb is that a human being can survive about three weeks without food, three days without water, and three minutes without air.  So what would become of us if our biosphere failed?  The trouble is, human beings have become a force of nature, in fact altering the physical, chemical and biological properties of our planet (and not in a good way, in case you were wondering).  

Even so, we consistently focus more on 'the economy' than on our ecology, with a short-sighted view that's more concerned about jobs and the stock markets than long-term view we ought to take if we want to sustain our very existence.  And still we pompously claim to be the most intelligent form of life on the planet.  Thankfully, there were some positive observations about how the economic and oil crises are starting to force us to find a happy marriage between the economy and our ecology (just look at the successes Sweden has had in this department if you want some inspiration).  

But in thinking about how all this applies to YOU (besides the fact that ecological concerns affect every one of us, not to mention every other form of life on the planet), I was inspired when I picked up a copy of Dr. Suzuki's book, The Legacy (one of fifty-two he's written).  In the interest of saving time at the book-signing after the discussion, he had pre-autographed copies of them with the words, "For your legacy". 

Your legacy.

Have you thought about your legacy lately?  

Will it be one of love or of commitment to a cause?  Perhaps one of inspiration or education?  Or will you leave a legacy of dreams dropped, hopes dashed, or perhaps one we might call a legacy of cynical 'realism'?  

Whether you're aware of it or not, you do leave some kind of legacy behind, whether it be just to your friends and family, to your community, or to the world at large.  And you don't have to be a renowned activist or advocate like Rubin or Suzuki to have an impact in the world.  

Up against the larger-than-life forces of the economy and the global political climate, you may at times feel powerless to effect change of any kind.  But the reality is that economics and politics and capitalism and all kinds of other 'ics' and 'isms' are human constructs in the first place.  We are the ones who created, sustain, and absolutely influence what happens in the domain of our human constructs.  

As highlighted in the documentary Food, Inc., for example, you must realize that every item you purchase at the grocery store is a vote for the kinds of food and production processes you are willing to support with your dollars.  You do drive the food production economy, and consciously or not, you do send messages to your politicians about what your priorities are, and what theirs should be.

Every educated vote you cast, every charity you support, every purchase you make or choose not to make, impacts the very 'larger-than-life' systems that you sometimes feel powerless against.  I'm reminded of a quote by cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, who said:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

When you live your life consciously, with purpose and conviction, you leave a legacy that's much more impactful than you may first realize.  When you move with purpose towards your goals and dreams, you build your legacy every single day:  word by word, action by action, step by step.  Whether it's to nurture and produce a thriving, loving family or to find the cure for cancer (or both), when you know what's important to you and then live and act in alignment with your values, you create a legacy that's as unique as your fingerprint.

So...what legacy are you working toward?

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©2023 by Kelly Wagner

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