Author: Mark S. Brown

You cannot create a legacy without knowing your purpose and passion in life. A legacy is created when a person lives their life with purpose, recognized by others for their commitment and dedication towards their goals.The legacy lives because other people recognize you for it.

You have already started writing your legacy. What do people remember about you? What do you dedicate your time and effort to accomplish?

These questions maybe difficult to answer if you have not discovered your purpose. On the other hand some people grab onto their purpose and work their entire life pursuing their goals. I admire these people.

John Maxwell knew at age 17 he wanted to study and learn from successful people. Throughout his life as a pastor, writer, and speaker, he dedicated time each day to learn from others, collect stories of success, and inspiring quotations. Today he is recognized as a guru on leadership, and has trained millions of people around the world through his organizations.

Julian Barbour is another individual that has dedicated his life to the pursuit of his passion, Julian has pursued radical research in physics, challenging Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

He received his Ph.D. degree on the foundations of Einstein’s general theory of relativity from the University of Cologne in 1968. Since then, Barbour has supported himself and his family without an academic position, working part-time as a translator. He has stepped away from the traditional to allow himself to be an independent researcher.

Today his theories are beginning to gain support and other researchers are collaborating on changing the generally accepted understanding of gravity, space, and time. His lifelong dedication to his purpose has been uncompromising.

“Why do some people get caught by an idea that takes over your life? I don’t know, but I do know that as long as it doesn’t drive you crazy, it is a blessing”, Barbour says. “When I started out on this journey 40 years ago, I said to my family that I know what I want to do and it will take me the rest of my life to do it — and that is the way it has worked out.”

I feel humbled when I compare my accomplishments with these great men. I don’t believe I will ever achieve the same level of greatness. But I know I can work to achieve the best that I can.

It is never too late to work on improving your legacy. Because whether you like it or not, it is already being written.

I recently bought a used book called, “Checklist for Life”. It has 67 chapters on different aspects on life. Each chapter contains some beliefs and things to do on each specific topic.

The first three chapters cover peace, boldness, and wisdom. Since it was a used book, there were already some notes written in the book, and of course the checklist had already been checked.

When I got to the fourth chapter, the topic was commitment. Surprisingly, this is where the previous owner gave up. No more notes, no more check marks. Ironic that this is the chapter that the previous owner needed the most.

It made me wonder about things that I started but gave up without finishing. Commitment can be difficult at times. When you need to follow through and complete your commitment you can use the following tips.

1. Measure your progress. Keep a log, make a chart, or set interim goals. Each of these will keep you focused on your progress.

2. Use a goal image. Select a photo or a quote that reflects your inspiration for your commitment. Post it near your desk, in your car, or on your bathroom mirror. Read it every day.

3. Know your sacrifice. Every achievement requires a sacrifice. What is it you are giving up to achieve your commitment. Make sure you know what it is, and that you are willing to follow through.

Les Brown once said, “If you do not develop the hunger and courage to pursue your goal, you will lose your nerve and you will give up on your dream.” Commit to your dream, and stay on your path to success!

 

Why is it that bad news travels faster than good news? What is it that urges us to pass along bad news more often than good news?

When I look at my values, and the goals I have for my life. I want to focus on being positive, and recognizing others. This is not consistent with the fact that we love to talk about bad news.

The conflict can be traced to many factors. Not everyone is influenced equally by these factors.

1. Insecurity – If you are not secure in yourself, then you may knowingly or unknowingly feel good about making someone else feel bad. If you are insecure, then you want to show you are better than others. To feel secure about yourself, you have to learn more about yourself. A person that is secure doesn’t need individual recognition, but shares recognition with others.

2. Attention – Some of us just like attention. There are people that like to be on stage. Telling bad news gets the attention of others, and in turn creates attention for the story teller. If this is you, then try to refocus your energy and your stage performance to positive aspects.

3. Society and unawareness – Our modern society and media successfully focuses on bad news. Good news stories rarely make the headlines. Bad news stories are always the lead story, and many drag on for days and weeks. Educating yourself to become aware of the good things happening around you can help you share a positive story.

Take this challenge. When you hear bad news, don’t be a person that perpetuates the communication chain. Keep the bad news to yourself, and instead find good news that can replace the bad news in the conversation.

It is not easy, when those around you want to gossip about bad news. But work to stay true to your own values. The more you practice the easier it gets.

Face it. We all have bad moments, or even a bad day or two.

Every human faces unplanned obstacles. We don’t control all events that happen around us, and therefore we will at times be filled with non-positive emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, and helplessness.

With a goal to be positive, reciting positive thoughts in your head will not make these situations change for the better. However there are steps we can take. Here are five things that can help you regain a positive attitude.

1. Relax. When we let stress control us, our emotions become amplified. Small issues become big. Larger issues look insurmountable. When you feel your positive attitude slip away, breathe deep and relax.

2. Look for the bigger picture. Many times in emotional situations, we find ourselves focused intently on the negative. This is when you need to slow down, and look at the world as a much bigger place. At any given moment, there are people that have faced the challenge you have, or even much bigger challenges.

3. Focus on your values. The intense emotions we feel in a stressful moment can strip our values away. We feel compelled to act on impulse. Our values become lost in a whirlwind of feelings. Staying true to your values can be a challenge. Attempt to redirect your focus on how you should ideally react based on your values.

4. Ground yourself in reality. When faced with bad stressful moments it is easy to imagine the worse possible outcomes. Think about what must be done now, at this moment, not about what may come. Plan step by step how you can handle the situation at hand based on real facts. Understand that the facts are out of your control, and the only thing you can effect is how you react.

5. Begin to change your attitude. Taking action in the right direction should breakdown moments of helplessness. Once you are taking action, begin to focus on the positive. In time, you will be able to regain your positive attitude.

It is great to have a goal to remain positive all the time. In reality, we need a strategy for how to face those moments that destroy our positive attitude.