Have you ever asked yourself the big question – ‘How do I want to be remembered’? A seemingly deep and conclusive introspection, it would be a quite difficult putting the answer into words. It’s a meaty question for sure, the kind that leaves you in profound philosophical thoughts for hours. This self-query will reveal a lot more to you and about you than you had bargained for.

Ask yourself this mother of all questions and work your way backwards to what you, in fact, should be doing in life to accomplish your true purpose. It could bring to the fore intents and drive you’d never thought you hosed; it could reveal the real you, the one hidden behind life’s chaotic paraphernalia… It could help peel away the layers from that superficial mask, revealing your true identity and desires.

A number of incredible answers will spring to your mind along this path of self-discovery… a lot that may seem second nature and some that may actually surprise you. Being remembered in a positive light after death is a sort of given; there is hardly a person who speaks ill of the dead. But being remembered in a positive light through the days of your life and thereafter, is truly an accomplishment! By living your life with this posthumous goal in mind, you may automatically begin to fix a lot of problems, propelling constructive changes and direction to the merry dance we have been leading.

Yes, most of us may have a list of things you’ll want the world to remember you by…

Kindness and Compassion: Kindness changes lives, compassion heals wounds. For sure you want the world to remember you for your gentleness of spirit, the kind that offered warmth and comfort in all your dealings and interactions… a touch of kindness in all you did and a heart that embraced all with its warmth.

Helpful and Generous: You want to be remembered as someone who was helpful and generous at all times, not only when it best suited you… Being remembered as someone friends and family could count on certainly adds value and merit to a life well lived.

 Character and Reputation: We all want to be remembered for our values and principles. Character and reputation walk hand in hand. Character is what the gods and angels know about us while reputation is what men and women think of us. Character leads while reputation follows. Either way the two sum up your life and I pray to God that you and I leave a trail of remembrances – virtuous and worthy!

Authentic and Loving: You want to be remembered as someone true, honest and authentic. You want to be liked despite your broken pieces and fragmented soul, loved despite your flaws and failings. We want strong friendships and a supportive family that remembers every weakness and vulnerability and love you inspite of it. We want to be remembered for the way we loved too, completely and deeply, no holds barred. So that within our sphere one felt so secure and loved that there was never a doubt to the depth of our affections. We want our absence felt – not as grief or a burden, but just to be missed when we are away.

On my list, these are terribly significant too…

To Be Remembered As Someone Who Didn’t Sit When She Could Dance… ‘I hope you dance’ by Lee Ann Womack, is a song, a favourite on my playlist I can hardly ever listen to without it eliciting some deep emotions every time I hear it.  If you’ve not heard it, you need to download this track today. I promise something about it will speak to every single one of you. It’s about every day bringing you a gift of chance, an opportunity, to live a full meaningful life, to breathe, kick off your shoes, and step out and dance. It’s about grasping every moment without fear or regret. Your life is a journey that begins and ends in every moment and it’s up to you to live it fully.

To Be Remembered Not Only As A Fighter But A Warrior… Oh yes! If you’ve been bullied a lot on the playground of life, you can either stand tall or let it defeat and crush you. There have been countless times when I’ve curled into a ball of defeat, soaking pillows and nights with an overflow of a saddened spirit. But all through the challenges, over time I’ve trained my spirit to the fitness of a fighter willing to go the distance, sometimes surprising even myself! You want to be remembered not only as a fierce fighter of fate, but a valiant warrior who stood taller with every struggle.

To Be Remembered As Someone Who Left An Indelible Mark On People… If you want to be remembered long after you’ve gone, touch lives and people. Leave your impressions, judgements and opinions aside. True empathy, compassion and understanding gains love more times than I can count. Everyone needs rescuing from their daily lives. If you find it a strain to open your heart decidedly you will lose the possibility of connecting with a rich life. Make an impression where you’re not just remembered, but missed. Make your presence and personality mean something!

To Be Remembered As Someone Who Planted A Tree And Left A Legacy In Some Manner: I want to be remembered for something I left behind – a concrete legacy of sorts, nothing really to do with money or property, investments or assets. Leave behind a dreamy vision – a hopeful future, and an impossible dream, anything that leaves you passion-driven and focused. Your legacy could be strong or miniscule, wise or foolish, deep-rooted or superficial to the world – but plant your tree somewhere, and make it take seed so the world acknowledges the fact that you walked in that very dirt and soil and left a piece of you behind, for it to take root somehow.