Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

It’s a fairly common exercise when you are trying to improve your position in life to “begin (the rest of your journey) with the end in mind.” Answering the questions:

•What kind of legacy do I hope to leave? 

•What will people step up to the lectern to say about the impact I made, or didn’t…?

Will your funeral be packed with adoring mourners in a mega church or will you be able to fit your crowd into a small chapel? Will your grandchildren be grown with children of their own or will they even be able to process the service and your loss?

What kind of an impression are you leaving on your family, your community, your company, your institution or your industry?

Were you an investor or a miner or an occupier – just taking up time and space?

Did you generally make people happy, angry or just indifferent?

Truth be told, I’m flying back from a two-day business meeting where face-to-face made a difference and one of the many teams I am fortunate to be part of grew closer together.

Travel troubles were also part of the trip. Taking the last flight out for the evening is like throwing dice at the craps table in Vegas. You really don’t know when you’re gonna roll a “snake eyes”. We were delayed for hours, the sky club closed well before the delayed flight took off and my attention span was gone after leaving it all on the table at our business meeting.

I’m staring out the window of the commercial jet on a clear night with an incredible light show below and wondering…how do I fit into this big puzzle? What will people remember about me? If I am fortunate to leave a lasting impression, will it be the kind I would be proud of? More importantly, if not, am I willing to take the necessary actions to be the person I want to be and be remembered as?

I LOVE my family – but I could share it more often

I VALUE my coworkers contributions but I could lift them up individually and collectively more regularly

I CHERISH my time in prayer but I could be praising Him more consistently

The thought of writing your eulogy is morbid to some and awkward to others. However, the reflection can be transformative. Be honest with yourself, be kind to yourself and think about what you need to do to leave the legacy you’re capable of.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric