Evidence of being

Have you ever taken a moment to think about your evidence of being?  Some might call it your legacy or the impact that your life has had on those around you.

Clearly there are those of us that will have a huge and profound impact on civilization, their countries and/or communities.

However, for the majority of us our impact will be on those immediately around us… our friends and loved ones.

Does your evidence of being really matter?

If you’re like me I’m guessing that you definitely want to leave a positive mark, but it’s sort of murky to a large degree in what that form will take.

Clearly I want to be a good role model and father for Zach and Sam, and a good partner to Judy but what else is important after that?

It would be great to thought of fondly by your friends, acquaintances, and network but let’s face it the real impact is commensurate with the level of intimacy that we share with those people.

For the majority of us our legacy or evidence of being will fade relatively quickly other than the stories passed down by our children in the future.  Some may linger for a while, but rarely do they transcend generations.

Although I must admit I’ve been fortunate in that the stories my mum passed onto me as a small boy about her father have done just that.

Perhaps it was the way she told the stories, or my young age that made these stories indelible in my memory.

He was an unabashed adventurer and seemed to follow his nose, getting in and surprisingly out of trouble with relative ease.  And from the stories she told me there were plenty of each…

Surprisingly, his evidence of being really did transcend generations, although I’m not sure many of us will beyond our lifetimes.

These are distant memories now but in the stories she told he was always larger than life itself.

What I remember most though is how animated she would become, her face would come alive, and she’d laugh as she told of his antics but always in a loving and caring way.

It was clear that mum and grandfather shared a common love of life.

Since my journey of reinvention began back in 2012 I’ve been endeavoring to tick the boxes on living a full and complete life, full of adventures and doing the things I love.

And thus, along the journey creating a memorable life.  Initially, during Zach and Sam’s adolescent years, but now that they are adults seeing them thrive and flourish fills me with pride.

Helping develop good human being with solid values and a sense of adventure was always my aim, and now this has come to fruition.

The choices I made during these formative years for both me and them have been vital in their lives… I can see it clearly now, but not so much then.

My mantra for them has been about living life with passion.

This translated into working hard and finding the things in life that make you passionate.

I’ve been told over and over again through the years by those who I clearly chose not to listen to that following your passions is not the way to live your life.

So glad that I ignored these voices and instead chose my path of following my passions to live life on my terms.

I suppose a part of my evidence of being is my weekly essay, for which I am passionate about.  Will it last beyond my years.

Maybe, maybe not – who knows?

Discovering what is most important to you in life and prioritizing these people or passions is my desire for you.

Only you can decide to live a different life, and perhaps imprint your evidence of being on those around you.

Living your best life takes on as many forms as there are people in the world.  Everyone of us is unique and so whether it’s providing a community service, or doing something that you’re passionate about is irrelevant.

It’s the act of how you live that will define your evidence of being.

For me it’s been about creating memories and traditions that Zach and Sam that they still talk about today.

Often it’s the simplest of things like a home cooked meal, or memorable road trips that we shared that are brought up when we’re together

I think the greatest gift we can give our kids, and likely in hindsight the most valuable – is our time.

Creating memories with your kids happens everyday and can be as simple as playing on the swings at the park, or going for ice cream after dinner in the summer…

Just spending time together is so important.

The tricky part is putting all of our gadgets aside, and freeing ourselves from the hectic lives we live to just be.

Engaging in the everyday is where it’s at – it doesn’t have to be worldly or big, but simple and eclectic that fills the memory banks.

We get one life, take a chance, lean into it every day with all your passion and energy and I’m betting you’ll be surprised at how invigorated you feel by embracing it, and how engaged your children will be by your presence.

What are you waiting for?

Until next week

Ciao!