Make Sure You Leave Something Behind

This may seem morose to you, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the world will be when I’m not here anymore. The world will go on and take no notice of my demise. So, that got me thinking: What will I leave behind when I leave this world?  It’s important to me to know that I will leave behind something or a lot of somethings that would not have been if I had never walked upon this lovely blue planet, Earth.

I see so many people saving money, accumulating wealth, saving for retirement or leaving money to their children and grandchildren. But I can’t believe that’s all our lives are meant to be. Is that all we want to leave behind? Money? Property?

Money was here before we were born, and it will certainly be around, in some form, for a long time after all of us are gone. So, leaving wealth behind is not leaving something of ourselves behind. We didn’t really make it – it just changed hands. I want to leave something behind that wasn’t here on the day I was born; something that wouldn’t have been here if I had not been born.

I certainly have not lived a perfect life; I’m pretty sure some will be glad to see me gone – and many others won’t care. That is how it is with many of us, I’m afraid. But one thing I know for sure: I’m leaving behind a lot of things that were not here before I was born.

Anyone who, like me, has children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren…should endeavor to leave behind something that would have never been here had we not been born. So if you have children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, you are leaving something of yourself behind.

I have children and grandchildren, and I love them all very much. I will leave them behind when I die; they are all part of me. So in that way, I’ve changed the world because I was here.

Billions of people change the world by having children, but many fewer change the world by leaving a part of themselves behind.

I’ve written over 100 songs, dozens of poems, and hundreds of essays and short stories. I’ve saved a lot of them, and they’ll survive me. Someday, after I’ve passed away, my kids will read some of the things I’ve written, and in so doing, they will have a look inside my head. And reading what I’ve written or listening to the songs I wrote will remind them of me and the good things about me, or the silly things about me. Perhaps they will view some of the things I’ve written as successes and others as failures. What I hope most of all is that what I’ve left behind reminds them that the world is a little different place because I was here. And also maybe encourage them to leave something of themselves behind.

To me, we must all try to change the world, even if only a little bit. If we don’t, I’m afraid it will be as if we were never born. Even if we leave children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren behind, we still need to leave other pieces of ourselves behind for so that those who survive us can know us better.

It doesn’t take much to leave something of yourself behind. You don’t need to be a great writer or painter, you don’t need to be handy with your hands, and you don’t even need to be creative.

You can write a letter and keep it hidden, so someday someone will find it and know you better. Just write down your thoughts on a piece of paper and then keep it safe and do your best to make sure no one sees it until you want them to see it. See? You don’t have to be an artist or a writer or a poet or a craftsman to leave something of yourself behind. Remember, anything and everything you leave behind changes the world, even if only just a tiny bit.

If you’re good with your hands, make a quilt, make some pottery, or build something. Anything you leave behind is part of you because it would have never existed unless you made it, and it would have never existed had you never lived.

Most of us do not think our existence will change the world at all. Most of us who are not rich and powerful don’t expect that the world will even know that we existed. Sometimes it seems we don’t have the power to change the world at all – but we do.

If you leave just one thing behind that you made yourself, then you’ve changed the world. Maybe only a little bit, but you’ve changed it by adding something to this world. And that makes a difference.

You can do a lot of other things do leave your mark on the world. Just think of all the things you could do to make the world a little different,  even a little better.  Even leaving a letter behind lets others share your thoughts. And it will bring back memories to those who love you.

You can start a tradition of giving, or you can paint, or you can write a book, an essay, a short story, or a poem. You can write a song, make pottery, or build something.  Or, you can just take time out to write a special letter about yourself and how you feel about things. Write something from your heart that will live on. Write about things you accomplished, things you did, places you visited, and your favorite memories. Share the dreams, both the ones that came true and the ones that didn’t. Write down how you feel about things, what you think about when you look back on your life.

Leave something behind, and we all change the world if only a little bit.  What a shame it would be to leave the world without leaving something of ourselves behind.

Think about that… today is a good day to leave something of yourself behind, isn’t it?