Weekly Thought Archives > Legacy versus Inheritance
Legacy versus Inheritance
Lately I have been giving a great deal of thought to the difference between legacy and inheritance. It seems that many of my friends are thinking about how to leave money to their families. Although this is admirable I prefer to think about leaving a legacy. Legacy includes how to live and how to die. This will be the passing of my core values. This will be the answer to the question, "what has been the theme of my life?" While speaking in Las Vegas I "caught Ray Bolger’s act" to get a sense of him before introducing him the next day. In his show he performed the signature steps of the great dancers who had gone preceded him e.g. Bill "Bogangles" Robinson, Fred Astaire and others. His message was that they left something on the floor when they no longer danced. The closing of the show was a solo spotlight focused on a stool centerstage. On it sat Ray Bolger’s dance shoes making the statement that he wanted to "leave something on the floor." We must carefully consider what legacy we are leaving. I am convinced that inheritances split families and legacies bond them. How many situations do you know in which second generations argue, conflict and even sue over money? The passing of the torch should not ignite a family fire.
It is crucial to think about the imprint that we leave. The "footprints on the sands of time" that the poet writes about talk about the mark that we make – the rent that we pay for our space on earth. Our legacy will live on as long as our influence survives. It is our responsibility to make it a good one.
