Why Should The World Remember You?

Do you know your great grandfather’s name? What did he look like? What did he do? What was his net worth?

99% of you will not know these answers.

This means that all the wonderful things your great grandfather did in his lifetime are not remembered even by his close family, forget about the world, in less than 100 years.

Let’s try another quiz. Who was the richest person when Albert Einstein lived? Who was the richest during the times of Buddha or Mozart or Raja Ravi Verma?

Again, it’s highly unlikely that you know.

This means that the vast majority of billionaires that you admire, like Richard Branson, Mukesh Ambani or Jack Ma, will likely be forgotten within 3 generations.

Interestingly, the world still remembers the names of people like Michelangelo, Galileo or Guttenberg centuries after they died.

Why is that?

This is because people do not remember those who just accumulated wealth. Those who created something like an exquisite work of art, an idea that changed the way people think or an invention that changed the way they live are the very few who can truly leave a global legacy. Even then, less than 0.01% of all artists, scientists, authors & inventors today will be great enough to be remembered this way

Those of you who are working extremely hard, ignoring family, friends & personal wellbeing, in the hopes of building something “great” that will be your legacy for future generations may be wasting your lives on a futile goal.

So, what should you do?

Think back on the people that you personally remember, beyond your family & close friends. This could be a favorite teacher who kindled your love of mathematics in school. It could be a family friend who raised your self-esteem when you were being bullied by the bigger kids. It could be a mentor who changed your thinking process to enhance your career. The people who are truly remembered, are the ones who gave their all and touched the lives around them in a positive way.

Maybe your legacy should not be about becoming rich or building a large company that the world will not care about. It should be about how many people can you truly help, who will remember you in their hearts long after you are gone.

So what do you want your legacy to be?