Your Legacy is Now
Life is not a search for meaning from others, it’s about the creation of meaning for yourself.
For over 30 years Alan Weiss has consulted, coached, and advised everyone from Fortune 500 executives, state governors, non-profit directors, and entrepreneurs to athletes, entertainers, and beauty pageant contestants. That’s quite an assortment of people, and they run into the thousands. Most of them have had what we euphemistically call “means,” and some of them have had a lot more than that. Others have been aspiring and with more ends in sight than means on hand.
Alan Weiss states:
I’ve dealt with esteem (low), narcissism (high), family problems, leadership dysfunctions, insecurities, addictions, and ethical quandaries. And I’ve talked about them through the coronavirus crisis. But don’t get the wrong idea. About 95% of these people have been well-meaning, honest (to the best of their knowledge), and interested in becoming a better person and better professional. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking to me.
I found the equivalent of the “runner’s wall” in their journeys, where they must break through the pain and the obstacles and then can keep going with renewed energy and spirit. But runners know how far they must go after the breakthrough, be it another half lap or another five miles. There is a finish line.
I’ve found that people in all positions, even after the “breakthrough,” don’t know where they are in the race, let alone where the finish line is.
They do not know what meaning is for them. They may have money in the bank, good relationships, the admiration of others, and the love of their dogs. But they have no metrics for “What now?” They believe that at the end of life there is a tallying, some metaphysical accountant who totals up their contributions, deducts their bad acts, and creates the (hopefully positive) difference.
That difference, they believe, is their “legacy.”
But the thought that legacy arrives at the end of life is as ridiculous as someone who decides to sell a business and tries to increase its valuation the day prior. Legacy is now. Legacy is daily. Every day we create the next page in our lives, but the question becomes who is writing it and what’s being written. Is someone else creating our legacy? Or are we, ourselves, simply writing the same page repeatedly?
Or do we leave it blank?
Our organic, living legacy is marred and squeezed by huge normative pressures. There is a “threshold” point, at which one’s beliefs and values are overridden by immense peer pressure. Our metrics are forced to change.
In an age of social media, biased press, and bullying, we’ve come to a point where our legacy, ironically, is almost out of our hands.
Yet our “meaning”—our creation of meaning and not a search for some illusive alchemy—creates worth and impact for us and all those with whom we interact.
Lisa Nirell
Alan,
I tried emailing you at your client’s address, but it bounced back.
🙂
Simon
Sounds like a world-class consulting opportunity! I’ll send in my references.
email me at
[email protected]
Peter Bodifee
That is the first test to see if you are a real consultant.
John FELKINS
This sounds pretty easy, I suggest we study the color to repaint the aircraft as a first step.
Larry Kutner
The V.I.C.T.I.M. project managers may have overlooked the obvious. Since the vast majority of airline passengers take round trips, winding up where they began after only a few days or weeks, why not simply remove the travel component and replace it with the valium and/or vodka? By eliminating the airplanes, security could be outsourced to Mumbai.
Jim Powell
Absolutely brilliant, can I ask regarding the green credentials of the project?
[email protected]
Alan Weiss
We’re seeing a great team align here! The project is totally green–the plane is powered by carbon emissions.
Jason Burke
So many great thoughts come to mind! What an excellent opportunity. Is the vodka considered kosher for those whose religious beliefs restrict valium?
Great stuff, Alan. I feel fortunate that I don’t have to fly much these days. Good luck in your travels, and with your search for a suitable consultant. There are probably – truly – many people who are well suited for this engagement. Perhaps some ex-TSA employees who no longer meet the new “medical” requirements can begin their lucrative consulting careers now.
Keep up the good work, and thanks for kicking off a cold, snowy day with a good start.
Alex
The Israelis have this down.
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/744426
At Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, screening is done in 30 minutes. The key? Look passengers in the eye.
This is such a cluster.., well you know, here.
Dave Gardner
Hilarious!
Alan Weiss
At Ben Gurion they’re not afraid to say, “This person looks like a terrorist.”
Simon
Apparently, Boeing is developing a special gas to replace the oxygen currently used in the oxygen masks. All passengers will be required to inhale at the beginning of the flight, to ensure a solid sleep for the duration. Once this is complete, the passengers can then be sorted and stacked according to size in the cargo area.
Jim Bradford
Perhaps we could surgically remove the arms and legs of frequent fliers so we could stack them on trays. In addition, without limbs the passengers will present a much reduced security risk.
The tag line could be, “I’d give an arm and a leg to fly Bete Noire.”
Alan Weiss
That gas is already in use and has been tested in airport public restrooms around the world.
Dan Weedin
How about this to help morale – a plain white t-shirt with the words, “I flew Alan Air and Survived!” upon departing? Not only helps morale but acts as a marketing piece as well. The REV is unlimited!
simma Lieberman
I wonder if Victoria’s Secret and Hanes will come out with lines of underwear for going through the scans.
Or we can all join the “Holographic World,” and no one has to go anywhere, or all meetings, celebrations and funerals can be held in Second Life, and no one will need their first life anymore.
Alan Weiss
What about all those hidden tattoos?
simma Lieberman
Tattoos can be a real problem. as well as piercing. I suppose the airline will need a consultant for what kind of tattoos are allowed.
Peter Bodifee
That is out of scope, we will have to discuss the fee to cover that.