“The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”
This quote is by Kalu Ndukwe Kalu, an American political scientist and author.
People I think most highly of are those who prioritize doing things for others. Many of them from the past are people whose words I have quoted in other posts: Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Helen Keller, Mahatma Gandhi, and Abraham Lincoln are some of those people. And I believe each of them also thought highly of people who did things for others and were influenced by them.
The emphasis on doing things for others does not apply only to people who are well known, of course. It applies to each of us.
Many of the parables of Jesus in the New Testament have to do with helping others, and many religious traditions in addition to Christianity emphasize doing so. When we give of ourselves by assisting others, spending time with people who are often alone, doing activities with our children and grandchildren, and in numerous other ways, we are adding to that which is of value in our world. Being empathic and nonjudgmental are also ways of helping others. And when we volunteer with and/or contribute financially to nonprofit organizations whose mission is to assist and support people who need their services, we also help many people.
A recent example of people helping others were the efforts made by a great many women and men in U.S. cities to assist immigrants who were being mistreated by ICE agents. Many of the agents ignored the legal rights that both documented and undocumented immigrants have in our country. The agents caused injury, fear, and trauma to individuals and their families, friends, employers, and many others. People joined in protests, volunteered to be on school grounds to protect children, brought groceries and other necessities to people fearful of being targeted (which included men and women who were citizens), did pro bono legal work, and in many others ways did what they could—at great risk to themselves—to help to protect those being harmed by ICE agents. And it made a difference in the lives of many.
Kalu refers to our legacy. Our legacy is the lasting impact we leave behind when our earthly journey ends. How wonderful when we spend part of our journey doing what we’re able to do to make other people’s lives better.