Lesson 5: Our Contribution, Legacy and Impact

I celebrate life and abundance every day

Learning Objective
Reflect on what constitutes a meaningful life for you

Many of us yearn and strive for a better life; a meaningful life and in this process we forget to truly live. We may spend a lot of our lives waiting for our lives to begin – we plan, hope, dream, and wish – we forget to enjoy life and live it fully.

Finding the balance between planning for the future and not living in the past, mindfulness encourages us to focus on this very moment, our lives right now

Everything we accumulate we can’t take with us when we pass away; our house, qualifications, furniture and personal items, our body and achievements.

Striving for more, to have more, and be more, may not offer the fulfilment that you’re seeking in life.

The Top 5 Regrets

“If only I had been less attached to things, less worried, fearful and stressed. I spent so much time waiting for my life to begin, that I never truly lived!”

VIDEO – A chalk board stands in the middle of New York City asking people to share their biggest regrets. People from all walks of life share the things they wished they did, or that they didn’t do. But this social experiment asks these people what happens when their regrets are wiped clean and they can start fresh.

Fear can hold us back from achieving our dreams, but this experiment suggests that we all have the chance to start over. Whether it’s taking a new direction in life or ticking off a to do list, there are many ways we can act today to achieve our future goals.

What’s holding you back? What do you think stands between you and where you want to be? Is it having enough time or money? Your health or other resources? Is it fear of failure?

Searching for Purpose

Purpose(noun.): The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists

We all reach moments in our lives where we are searching for a purpose; a purpose that is greater than ourselves; a purpose where our life touches other lives in a meaningful way. Creating a life of purpose is about intentionally living your own values. A life of purpose isn’t something you envision and then that’s the end of it. It’s something you create by taking purposeful actions. Intention alone is not enough we need to take action towards living out the life that we want for ourselves, and not what others may want for us.

Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire

Perhaps one of my favourite quotes by Chris Brogan is,

“The goal isn’t more money. The goal is living life on your own terms”.

Explainer Video: Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it.

A woman who walks in purpose does not have to chase people of opportunities. Her light causes people and opportunities to pursue her.

Leaving a legacy

Legacy (noun.): An amount of money or property left to someone in a will.

When most people think of a legacy they think about what possessions they want to leave behind. But your legacy is much more than the material possessions and the money that you leave behind.

Our legacy is what we want to be remembered for.

What we want people to say or share about our life and us.

It’s more than money; it’s an embodiment of our contribution to the world and future generations.

Explainer Video: In her New Orleans neighbourhood, artist and TED Fellow Candy Chang turned an abandoned house into a giant chalkboard asking a fill-in-the-blank question: “Before I die I want to ___.” (What’s your answer?)

A legacy can take many forms; it can be the type of relationship you have with your family or the way you raise your children. It could be the footprint you leave on the planet or the way you are of service to others. It could be your contribution you make in your field of work, research you do or a book you write to share your thoughts and opinions with the world. Whatever your legacy, it’s your own and is something that is your unique contribution to yourself, others and the world.

In the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, the second habit mentioned is ‘to always start with the end in mind’.

Mindful Question/Reflection:
What contributions am I making to my loved ones?

What contribution am I making to my community?

What impact am I having on the environment?

Mindful Question/Reflection:
What sort of legacy am I creating?

What am I doing that one day my family will be proud of?

Once we know what we want our legacy to be, we can watch out for opportunities to live our life in alignment with this essence and strive to embody it in our experiences and relationships. We can also start to use our wealth in ways that help us to intentionally create our legacy and support our purpose.

The purpose of life is a life of purpose

Living a life of purpose and creating a legacy is a wealthy life.

Do what you love and never work a day in your life

Your purpose and legacy may not be obvious.

They may be something that gradually emerges over time.

Mindful Question/Reflection:
Reflect and help you connect to your purpose:

What do you love to do, that you would do even if you don’t get paid for it? What do other people say you’re really good at?

* Be careful of going in a direction just because others think you should. Try paying attention to the way others compliment you.

Is there anything that you’re particular good at that people tell you that you should do professionally, or do more of?

What is the one thing you want to experience, or do, or accomplish, before you die, so that on your last day you feel satisfied and have no regrets in that area?

What is the number one thing you could start doing now that would have the most positive impact on your life and the people around you?

Giving it all away

We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give

It’s human nature not to want to think about our own death. It’s not something that we like to imagine.

#Truth: Research shows that over half of Australians don’t have a legal Will.

Perhaps this is because the majority of us find it difficult to think about our own mortality.

Creating a Will is not a complicated process – yet it’s one most of us put off or avoid doing.

But if we don’t do it, we can create uncertainty or stress for our loved ones that is something we want to avoid.

Making a Will is the only way we can ensure our assets will be distributed the way we want and to who we want. A Will is a legal document that sets out who we want to receive our assets when we die. If we die without a Will then our assets are given away according to a pre-determined formula and in some cases may even end up with the government.

Some people choose to complete their Will using a Will kit purchased from a newsagency or post office whilst others prefer to seek legal advice and have their Will drafted by a Legal professional. The right solution for you will depend on your personal situation, if in doubt, it pays to seek advice.

Explainer Video: Within each of us are two selves, suggests David Brooks in this meditative short talk: the self who craves success, who builds a résumé, and the self who seeks connection, community, love — the values that make for a great eulogy. Brooks asks: Can we balance these two selves?

Congratulations! You’ve completed Your Journey to Mindful Wealth

Well done on completing all six modules. We’re so honoured to have shared this journey with you. We’d love to hear your feedback, suggestions and insights you’ve gained, and to have you as an ongoing member of our community. We’ll be in touch soon to follow up after your journey.

Until then, best wishes for creating and living an abundant life,
Lea + the mindful wealth movement team.

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