5 Cool Ideas™ for Building a Legacy
by Michael Angelo Caruso

A legacy is a “leave-behind” for future workers and family members.  Legacy can be created at work, at home and through personal service.  Here are 5 Cool Ideas for building legacy.

1. People who appreciate legacy will leave one. 
   Develop an appreciation for legacy.  Creating a powerful and influential leave-behind can be inexpensive and easy, especially if created a little at a time.  To learn more about what constitutes legacy and how you can create legacy using your thoughts and words, read Mitch Albom’s terrific book, “Tuesdays With Morrie” and listen to my audio book, “Dear Michael Angelo – A Father’s Life Letters to His Son.”  Learn how to create legacy for your family today.

2. Your “leave-behind” can be simple. 
   Building legacy does not have to consume large amounts of time. Many people leave a legacy by documenting their own life. You can document your life by writing a series of letters, recording stories on audiotape and videotape, building a website and keeping a journal. Establish internal deadlines to help keep you on track. To write a 12-chapter book on your life, finish one chapter every month and you’ll be finished in a year.  

3. Journals are an accumulative form of legacy.  
   Write down your important thoughts and experiences in a journal. Spend time developing themes like “self-esteem” and “happiness” rather than capturing “Dear Diary” ramblings. Give extra attention to stories that teach a life lesson. You might choose to create computer documents for each important concept. Store them in a “Legacy” file on your home computer. Make sure to backup your data.

4. Your correspondence is your diary. 
   You’re probably creating legacy with the e-mails that you generate and receive every day. The easiest way to document this activity is to send yourself a copy of the compelling messages that you compose. Save e-mails to a “Legacy” file. After a few years, review your collection and you’ll begin to notice trends in your correspondence that might offer clarity and congruity to the story of your life.

5. Ask your Mom or Dad to write you a letter.
   Ask your parents to create a theme letter by writing what success means to them or by sending a list of their five happiest moments. If Mom only writes one letter, it will be a masterpiece. If your parents have passed on, it’s time for you to write some letters to your children. Write time-delayed letters. Mail the letter to your own home. When it arrives, write on the envelope, “For Johnny to open on his 16th birthday” or “For Jane to open on her wedding day.” I have written letters to my unborn children, which will hopefully help my kids develop an appreciation for legacy.