What does legacy mean to you?

Legacy is often defined as a physical thing - money or property - but it can also be esoteric. At the end of the day, legacy is what you leave behind, it's your lasting impact. Legacy is what comes to mind of when you think of historical figures like Buddha, Mother Teresa or Harriet Tubman, but it could also mean people closer to home like your grandfather, an inspiring professional mentor, or a college professor who recently retired.

With the 4th of July around the corner, an analysis of legacy becomes all the more relevant. A legacy is available to anyone who wants to make an impact on society, on history and on others. Legacies often come after an ending, a profound ending. They're the pinnacle of a presidency, of a professional career, of a college career, or of a life. Legacies remind you to examine the past, and to forge ahead for a better future.

Many of us associate the word "legacy," with accomplishment, but more often than not, legacy also reflects our thoughts about mortality and immortality. It encourages us to ask ourselves what makes us want to leave something behind. Is it out of fear of being forgotten? Is it out of love for our family? Is it to ensure that our work will be perpetuated once we are gone?

Above all, legacies are about living in the present. They're about using the time you have now to cause an impact that will last eternally in the hearts and minds of others. What do you want your legacy to be? How can you work towards that impactful goal each and every day?

Happy Fourth of July, BuDhaGirls!