Heritage is different from what many people think.
Think about the people you come into contact with who push you forward.
What did they do?
They share knowledge, inspire you to keep going, or, more brutally, kick your ass to move you a few steps forward. They have planted positive seeds sprouting in your mind, then they flower, bear fruit, and spread hundreds of thousands of other seeds to the following people. This cycle continues to multiply indefinitely.
That is the legacy.
Legacy is your thoughts and actions every day that impact the world. Each small action is like the flap of a butterfly’s wings landing in the Amazon forest and creating a storm on the shore of the deep ocean (1).
Think about it.
If you are a parent or teacher, the legacy you leave behind is the bright red paint streaks in children’s minds. If you are a boss, the legacy you leave behind is the ideas, knowledge, and experiences you pass on to your employees. If you are an employee, the legacy you leave behind is the impact on the colleagues and customers you contact. Or, if you are a writer, the legacy you leave behind has a positive impact on many readers. Beautifully written. And the examples go on and on.
Whether you like it or not, you leave a legacy every day. Every heritage is like a red brick. If you diligently lay the bricks daily, at the end of your life, you will have a big house for the next generation to live in. In material form, the legacy will be money. In spiritual form, legacy will be how you convey your message through your thoughts, words, voice, or body language (2).
Leaving a legacy is not about satisfying your desire to be recognized by everyone (it’s just a consequence and a tool to help you go further). If you indulge in that desire too much, you will become a slave and dependent on everyone’s recognition. You will lose your freedom and creativity and sell your soul to the devil.
You don’t want this bad thing to happen to you, right?
Forget that petty desire. This is the most significant benefit. Like monks, giving is how you nurture your soul to gradually become pure, and you will feel indescribable joy, peace, and overwhelming happiness.
That’s right.
You don’t need to wait for recognition or approval from others to create a legacy for this world. Leave a legacy not for anyone else but for yourself, for your soul’s progress. This is the meaning of life. In particular, attaching your work to a meaning more significant than yourself activates the prefrontal lobe (3). At this point, you not only complete the job, but you also complete it better and make more progress than last time.
To combat the selfishness in my mind, I always remember the monks’ saying, “We should be thankful because they have received, and because we have someone to give to”.
That’s it.
Thank you for having someone inherit the legacy we left behind.
Don’t hesitate anymore.
Continue to leave your legacy every day and live a meaningful life.
– Duc Thong
(1) An interesting discovery of the butterfly effect was made by mathematician Edward Norton. 🔙
(2) “We often think communication is what we write or say. However, our appearance, voice, gestures, and even thoughts are all means of communication. Just as an orange tree offers flowers, leaves and lush oranges, each community member offers good words and beautiful gestures. Communication cannot be without influence. Every time we communicate, we contribute either love, harmony or suffering and destruction.” – The book The Art of Establishing Communication by Master Thich Nhat Hanh. 🔙
(3) If we consider the body an orchestra, the prefrontal lobe is like the conductor coordinating all the musicians. Considering the body as an operating business, the prefrontal lobe is like a chief executive officer (CEO). If the prefrontal lobe is not activated, the CEO is considered disabled. Each part of the business operates separately, which is why the business falls apart. 🔙