My drifting thoughts, which are the basis of this blog, bring me to this today: Tony Robbins spoke of 6 basic human needs way back when he created his Personal Power series. The one that is up for me right now is Significance, which he describes as the feeling of being important to someone, somewhere, somehow – the sense of “counting and mattering.” We hear stories from time to time of deceased people being discovered three weeks after death … or longer. This is heart-breaking. No one checked on them? No one missed their presence on this planet? No one noticed that they were gone? My thoughts do not seem to be drifting into the area of “Do I matter,” but in thinking about others … primarily my mom and my dog.
I have had 2 major losses this year – two different kinds of losses – my mom on January 24 and my little greyhound girl, Lilly, on August 29. I was so heartened by phone calls, email messages, cards, Facebook posts, and the like validating the existence and loss of these two special entities in my life. I loved hearing the stories and memories for both of them. It meant so much to me. These two had significance. They mattered – not only to me, but to others. But as time goes by, memories fade and people and pets are forgotten to most who have not had the strong contacts. This is the power behind legacies. Legacies answer the question of “What can I do so that this person or pet retains its significance? So that they are not forgotten? So that they continue to matter …” I invite you to spend some time in prayer or meditation reflecting on those who have mattered to you, perhaps some that you have not thought about for a while. Think about their significance – how did they influence your life? How are you a better person because they were in your life? How are you going to bring their energies forward into the future so that the energy of their life continues on?
As we celebrated 9-11 yesterday, legacies and significance were at the forefront. Now think about yourself. What would people in your life likely do to continue on your energy? What would your legacy be? Interesting to think about, yes?