How do you want to be remembered?

By Stevie Lowery
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 6:00 am (Updated: February 26, 9:25 am)

The Lebanon Enterprise.com

How do you want to be remembered?

It’s an intense question.

I’ll be honest, until losing my mom last year, I hadn’t given this question much thought. But, since then, my entire view of life has changed. Every single day, I find myself asking this question. And, I know I can’t be the only one.

How do you want to be remembered?

It seems like so much of what we spend our time and energy on will not be what people remember about us. Our physical appearance, how much money we make, our status in social circles, how big our house is and what kind of car we drive, etc., aren’t what people are going to remember. (Unless you drive a little, bright yellow Smart Car like my mom did. In that case, people will remember you drove that cute, tiny thing around town.)

– What will people remember about you?

– Were you kind? Did you help others? Were you a good friend?

– Did you light up a room with your personality and smile?

– Were you a good listener? Did you give to those in need?

– Were you friendly to strangers?

– Did you entertain people with your humor?

I think we all hope to be remembered for the good we did here on earth as opposed to the bad. But, with that said, we all have done things we’re not proud of, and there might be parts of our past we wish we could erase. No one is perfect. But, our character, and how we treat others, matters and will be remembered.

Today, right now as you’re reading this, are you proud of how you will be remembered? Your legacy, thus far, is it a positive one? Or, do you need to maybe make some changes? Only you can answer that question.

Now, more than ever, I’m asking myself these questions. Because I want to be remembered for being a positive person in a world that’s full of negativity. I don’t want to let the world harden me. So, I choose to be optimistic. I choose to be vulnerable. In the past, I thought my vulnerability and optimism made me weak and easily manipulated. But, I’d rather be too trusting than shrewd and cold-hearted.

I want people to remember me for being real. Rather than bow my head in shame, I want to use my past mistakes and scars to help other people. I don’t want anyone to feel alone in my presence. I want people to feel safe, accepted and loved when they are around me.

Do people feel that way around you?

Do you show people love? Do you make people feel important? Do people want to be around you? Do people crave your company? Or, is the opposite true?

Not everyone is going to like you. That’s not my point.

But, how you treat others and how you make them feel is what people will remember.

If nothing else, I want people to feel appreciated, heard, cared for and/or loved when they are around me. That’s what I want people to remember about me. All the other stuff – my career, my possessions, my appearance – is just fluff.

How you make people feel, that’s what matters most.