Recently I sat in a meeting with a family who had lost the founder of their fast growing family business. During the meeting I was focused on business. After the meeting the sadness hit me. The founder should have been in that meeting. The energy, the drive and the laughter were missing. He lived his life to the fullest.
As a result of how he lived his life, he left behind a wonderful legacy for his family. As they pick up the pieces, they have many options in which to fulfill this journey. The first challenge is to get beyond the grief and make decisions that are best for the family.
That lead me to the question – what will be my legacy? What will I be remembered for? More important – what do I want to be remembered for?
My husband tells me that he will not put “she was a great CPA” on my headstone. Despite the fact that most of my energy at this point in my life is dedicated to my career. As for my legacy – I want to leave the world a better place. I want to be remembered as a mom who raised her children to add value to this world, instead of taking. I want to be remembered that I help those I work with to grow and be the best they can be.
We make our mark during our entire life on those we love, those we meet and those we leave behind. What will you be remembered for? What will be your legacy?
By Mary Guldan-Lindstrom, CPA
