I serve on the Board of HealthNet, a network of primary care clinics serving the health, dental, and behavior health needs of the under and uninsured of Marion County. It is a wonderful organization that I am proud to be a part of. Recently, we lost a valued member of our team. She and her two youngest children were killed in a tragic car accident. I did not know her, but I am deeply touched by the stories I have heard about how she lived her life and the impact she had on others.From time to time I will reflect for myself, and ask others, “What do you want your legacy to be.” For me this is an ‘intention’ question. Intention questions can help guide our choices. Our life is the sum total of those choices. Said another way, we are our choices.
Often, I hear, “I want to live life well.” Would that be your answer? What does living life well look like for you? These are my current thoughts and reflections for what it looks like for me.
- A man of faith; faith in my creator that I call God; faith that things will turn out as they need to; faith that most people want to be and do good things
- That I will be ‘awake’ and ‘aware’
- That I will be a positive energy in people’s lives; that I will help them find the best that is in them; that I will find and express the best that is in me; lately, I have been referring to this as “the best version of myself”
- That I will live a life of gratitude; that every day I will marvel at God’s handiwork That I will be thankful for work, for health, for His grace, for His gifts
- …for incredible friends that support and love me
- …for an incredible wife
- …for incredible children, and now a grandchild
- …for all the people that I share DNA with
- …for those people that took an interest in me, believed in me, and help me believe in myself
- …for those moments in my life that ‘wowed’ me, moved me to tears; for those moments that were full of incredible pain, and those that were full of incredible gladness
- That I will respond to the love that has flowed in my life and love others well
- That I will have compassion
- That I will ‘squeeze’ all I can out of every day; and stop and reflect often on the marvel of it all
- That I will freely give of my gifts
- That I will be generous
- That I will have made the world a better place
- That I will see more of what I did well than what I didn’t do
- That my life will honor my parents
- That I will encourage others to experience the ‘good news’ of who they are
- That I will be satisfied with what I have
- To remember that I don’t have a message, I am the message
I don’t spend much time ‘thinking’ about legacy, but I do spend time living with ‘intention.’ Those things I have listed are a large part of the intention I try to live with every day. Dr. Jill Buck was the name of the woman who died. She lived life well. She inspires me to be the best version of me that I can be and to touch the world in positive ways. Thank you, Dr. Buck. Even though I never knew you I thank God for your presence and your gifts.