Two Questions to Start Living Your Legacy Now

Legacy isn’t just something for “later.” It’s something you’re creating every day—whether you realize it or not.

At Willow, we use the reality of our mortality® as a lens for reflection. Knowing your time is limited doesn’t have to be frightening—it can be freeing! It invites you to align your life with what matters most, and in doing so, to create a living legacy.

So how often do you reflect on the legacy you're living right now?

Your Assumed Legacy vs. Your Intended Legacy

Most of us carry assumptions about how others see us. Maybe you assume your family will remember your dedication to them. Or that your friends will recall your reliability or your humour. But when you take time to name what you hope they’ll remember, a different story can emerge.

Maybe you want to be remembered not just as someone who worked hard, but as someone who was present. Not just as someone who was helpful, but as someone who made others feel seen.

This gap between assumption and intention can be a fertile ground for change. It gives you a chance to start aligning your current actions with your deeper values.

Three Things, Two Lists, One Insight!

Try this: take a quiet moment and think about the people you love, and ask yourself:

• What are three things I hope they’ll remember about me long after I die?
• What are three things I think they will remember about me long after I die?

For the second question, you can either answer it on your own, or you can ask important people in your life:

“Imagine I’ll die in the next few months. Five years later, what are the top three things you’ll remember about me?”

If you do this with a group of people, consider asking them to write it down on paper and make it anonymous so that they can be completely honest!

No matter how you approach this, you’ll have two lists in front of you. Notice where the lists align—and where they don’t. What small shift might help you close that gap?

A Personal Glimpse Into My Legacy

When I did this reflection myself, three things I hope people remember about me are that I'm loving, generous, and fun. To get an outside perspective, I asked two of my siblings what they would remember about me. One of them said that I follow my passion, and another did say “fun”—which made me smile. But they also mentioned that I mumble, and that I’m always busy!

It was a playful and illuminating exchange. Going forward, I’m taking their reflections to heart: I’ll make an effort to speak more clearly—because my voice matters, and I want people to truly hear me. I’m also committed to making more time for those who matter most, because how I show up today shapes the impact I have on others.

Living Into Your Legacy

Legacy isn’t something you have to wait to leave. You can live it right now. That might mean speaking your truth more often, reconnecting with estranged loved ones, or making time for creativity, activism, or rest.

This isn’t about perfection or pressure—it’s about living your life on purpose, guided by the values and qualities you want to ripple out into the world.

Want to Go Deeper? Join Us.

If this reflection stirred something in you, I warmly invite you to join me for our upcoming Willow Workshop®: How to Create and Live Your Legacy. You’ll be guided through meaningful questions and supported to live with more clarity, intention, and heart.

And if you’ve been following along this month of personal reflection, this post builds beautifully on: Writing a Love Note to Yourself, Drawing the River of Your Life, and Exploring Your Core Values. Each of these themes can shape the legacy you live today and the one you’ll eventually leave behind.