That rainy spring morning in Chicago was the genesis of Project Legacy, the spark that produced the flame. While eating packaged jelly and a stale croissant, I was inspired by the vigor and passion of the speaker that took the mic’. In that moment, I realized I wanted more out of my career and even more so, my life too. What does living a life of passion actually mean? How do you take risks and pursue a life of purpose? What is the recipe for this? Where do I sign up?
Can you relate? Everyone has this feeling from time to time. I think of it like this…have you ever tried to start your car and it won’t turn over? You keep turning the key hoping this is your lucky try…and finally it works! The car turns over and the engine starts and you say to yourself “finally.” That overwhelming sense of relief where things momentarily feel right. That emotion is how I feel when I explore, document and produce other’s experiences.
I have always loved hearing people’s life stories. The road is different for all of us but I find so much beauty in the trodden paths that our lives are built upon. I think if we take a moment to slow down and listen to each other, we will find that we have so much in common regarding the legacy’s we want to leave here on earth – whether that be conscious or subconscious acts.
The world is not always yes or no, black or white, success or failure. The world is not binary. It is constantly evolving and so are we. As I reflected on my own experiences, I thought about the definition of success and what it means to leave a legacy. Success is interpretive, it varies, it is not the same for everyone. Success is relative. Success for a movie star, a politician, a factory worker, an impoverished family in Africa are all different.
So what is a legacy? And what isn’t a legacy? To me, a legacy is not a running tally of successes, not a composition of victory after victory after victory. A legacy is not for self-indulgence nor personal gain. A legacy is built upon a foundation of life experiences, both success and failures. Failure fertilizes the ground and allows for success to sprout. Individual successes and failures build one’s legacy, whether that legacy be great or small. Really, what success is, is making the active transition forward from where you are or were to where you want to be.
A legacy is a gift for others to learn from, draw inspiration from and make the world a better place. This is the aim of Project Legacy. As so many people have inspired me, I want to provide a platform for women of all walks of life to share their struggles and successes.