# What do you want your legacy to be?
Answering that specific question is hard, because I have different ideas for different people. And so “I don’t know” is a normal response for me.
I take refuge in how Maya Angelou described it:
“You have no idea what your legacy will be because your legacy is every life you touch.”
Perhaps I should attempt to answer the question about legacy through the lens of different people I have in my life. My wife & kids. My closest friends. My extended circle of acquaintances.
My wife: Her best friend & supporter. Her lover. Her rock. Her refuge.
My kids: Their biggest supporter. A role model. A patient listener. A confidante.
My closest circle: An inveterate optimist. Compulsive sharer of insights & information. A patient listener. Connector.
Extended circle: Mentor. Enabler. Connector.
It was an interesting experience to read my colleagues recommendations on my professional social network. A focus on people. Strong communicator & storyteller. Genuine. Empathetic. How people see me depends on the context. And of course that’s self-evident. Where I am is who I am.
At a deep level, I want to have made a difference to a few people, to the community I am part of, to the world I live in.