So often we hear about legacy. We hear a lot of talk about how we would like to be remembered. As important as this may be, sadly, it is often only attached to the thought of the afterlife. It seems as if we are invisible and go through this life without repercussions or rewards for our actions. Maybe that is why we may sometimes be so obsessed with our goals and dreams that we may do so at any cost without regard of how it may affect others. 

However, it may even be more important to be concerned about our living legacy, the one we have an opportunity to experience, than the one when we are dead and gone. This is because we may not influence how we will be remembered, as it will be at the discretion of those who remain behind.

While we are at it, maybe this is also an opportunity to revisit the idea of karma. Often when the word karma is spoken, it is meant to be about vengeance, but what if karma also has a positive side to it? Since it is all about cause and effect, it would be only fair to see it as a two-sided coin, just as there can’t be light without darkness.

Moreover, if we are to really be serious about the legacy we want to witness or leave behind, we must live it. 

It should not be something oratory in motivational speeches, but intentional. It should also not be about glorification and reverence, but about positively affecting the lives of those we interact with daily. 

Our mission should also not only be about how we will be remembered when we are gone, but also how people will remember us when they see us walk by, on television, or when our names are mentioned in our absence. Of course, to a certain extent, there will be a part we have no control due to other people’s perceptions and assumptions about us. 

Still, there will be those we may have affected positively and who will be our defenders in the court of public opinion.

This may sound simple and, maybe even irrelevant, as one might argue that trying to leave a legacy at all costs may be synonymous with seeking approval or a sign of insecurity. Of course, such cases are inevitable, but when a legacy is driven by purpose, it becomes effortless, as the forces of nature will rally support towards that path. 

The same is true of those who seek to leave a legacy built on deception and delusion. They will eventually be exposed and put to shame in the court of nature. So, the ultimate question is, how would you like to be remembered the next time you enter your workplace, your church, a community meeting, or a bus? So that, even with all the odds against you, a thought of you, be it in your presence or absence, may put a smile on someone’s face.

*Uncommon Sense is published in the New Era with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka. YouTube channel: Karlos Lokos.

– karlsimbumusic@gmail.comw