As genealogists, we focus a lot on dead people. There’s no doubt we think about death more than the average person.
We read obituaries, we take note of death dates, and we spend time during visitation in the funeral parlour, looking at old family photos of the deceased.
We spend time thinking about the life our ancestors and relatives lived. We think about the legacy they left.
Living with purpose
It was the mention of legacy during a radio interview Saturday afternoon that made my ears prick up.
Canadian journalist and TV news anchor Todd van der Heyden was interviewing Codi Shewan who had spent 20 years working in the funeral business.
Now a motivational speaker and author, Mr. Shewan was talking about the importance of living one’s legacy now and his new book, Everyday Legacy: Lessons for Living With Purpose, Right Now.
The former funeral director and embalmer from Mississauga, Ontario wants to inspire people to redefine how they live and embrace the idea of living ― not leaving ― a legacy.
His message is: In each moment, you have the ability to change yourself and those around you, in profound ways.
He said, “A legacy is something you live, not what you leave behind.
“What if you started acting the way you want to be remembered – right now – and shared your unique gifts with the world?”
From his book —
While listening to people speak about the deceased during a funeral service, Mr. Shewan remembers thinking, I sure hope this man knew the influence he had on these people.
“Did he know what he meant to the people in that room?
“Did he live every day with the awareness that he meant so much to so many?
“Did he live that way on purpose?
“Then a notion hit me and my mind began to spin. I’d always association ‘legacy’ with the end and thought of it as something we leave behind. In an instant, I resolved that I didn’t want just to leave my legacy behind when I died. I wanted to live my legacy every day. To live consciously and cultivate an ever-present awareness of the impact I have on the people in my life.
“If I lived the way I wanted to be remembered, how would that change me and those around me?”
Everyday Legacy: Lessons for Living With Purpose, Right Now is available at bookstores and online in Canada and the United States. You can get a sneak peak of the inside of the book on Amazon.ca.
