What do you want to leave behind? What legacy to do you want to have? This is something that I hadn’t ever really thought about. This is until Danny Raven Tan came to speak to us. Have you ever thought about it?
Most of us, sorry to put it this way, but most of us are insignificant in the bigger picture. We are very significant to those around us, like family and friends. What is it about you that you want people to remember when you are no longer there?
Danny Raven Tan talked us through his life and all the things that have happened to him. Including his fight with pancreatic cancer. This got him thinking about the impact that he had on the world. When life is good this might not be the first thing on your mind, but death is imminent and as Danny Raven Tan said, “you are decaying from the moment you are born.”
Personally, I think that the topic of death does not have to be one that is depressing. Instead, it could be seen as a celebration of all the positive things that the person has done in their life or the impact that they have made on those around them, no matter how small.
When my time is up I want to leave behind no regrets. Having fulfilled and done everything that I had wished to do. I would hope that I had a positive impact on those around me and had done some good for the world. As Patti Davis who is an American actor and former first daughter says, “That is your legacy on this Earth when you leave this Earth: how many hearts you touched.”(Patti Davis, Brainyquote) Many people wish this to be their legacy and like Rasheed Ogunlaru said “Legacy is not what’s left tomorrow when you’re gone. It’s what you give, create, impact and contribute today while you’re here that then happens to live on.” (Goodreads, Rasheed Ogunlaru.) I think that this is the most important thing to leave behind and be remembered for. If I leave the world having made a small difference to people in my everyday life I would be satisfied.
I feel like helping people is something that I value, not just those around me but on a broader scale. Some people want their legacy to be having lots of money or being famous but I think that I would want my legacy to be the impact that I have made on the world around me. I hope that in my life I will have made a big difference, for example, leading a movement for a change that I believe in or inventing something that would help the planet and others around me.
Life is short and I believe that you have to get out there and do things. Live in the moment, and as the author Jarod Kintz says “whether or not you live to be 50 or 100 makes no difference, if you made no difference in the world.” (Emily’s Quotes)It is not how long you live that matters but what you do in the moment that matters more. With all the opportunities that we are given, it’s time to make a difference. Our school is very much about making a difference and I realise how much this is reflected in my values.
The question is, what do you want to leave behind?
Citations
“A Quote by Rasheed Ogunlaru.” Quote by Rasheed Ogunlaru: “Legacy Is Not What’s Left Tomorrow When You’re …”, Good Reads , www.goodreads.com/quotes/700783-legacy-is-not-what-s-left-tomorrow-when-you-re-gone-it-s.
“Patti Davis Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/patti_davis_671739.
“Whether You Live to Be 50 or 100 Makes No Difference, If You Made No Difference in the World.” Popular Inspirational Quotes at EmilysQuotes, Emilys Quotes, emilysquotes.com/whether-you-live-to-be-50-or-100-makes-no-difference-if-you-made-no-difference-in-the-world/.
Dear Poppy,
I congratulate you on your choice of topic. It is reflection piece and well fleshed out for someone so young. I like your direct style and impactful beginning. You jumped into the topic straightway without spending much time building the context. This is an effective communication strategy and grips the reader faster than unnecessary or verbose context building. Your style is fluid and easy to read.
As for improvement points, you could have explained a bit more about Danny Raven Tan. What were his challenges ? What was his context ? What was his struggle with pancreatic cancer…outlining some details there would have given the reader an understanding of how Danny Raven Tan had this perspective inspite of being afflicted by this deadly disease.
Overall, a great piece.