Create Your Legacy In 3 Steps

Ep #3: Create Your Legacy In 3 Steps 

Welcome to the Make Money Living Your Purpose Podcast. I'm Prosperity Coach Karen Powell and this is the podcast for heart-centered leaders, innovators and creatives who dream of leaving their nine-to-five to pursue their passion project but don't know where to start. I'm sharing my proven process that will help you heal your money mindset and figure out your own unique purpose in life. Let's go! 

Hey, there, welcome back to the show. I want to ask you, have you ever thought about leaving a legacy? If you're a youngster listening to the show, probably haven't given much thought about that. But if you've been living life for a while now like me, chances are the thought has crossed your mind. Wouldn't it be cool to leave something useful behind after I'm gone? Something that makes the world a little bit better off because I was here.  

Maybe it's writing your memoir or creating a foundation for a cause that's important to you. Or building up a business that can continue without you. Or maybe it's designing something that solves a problem in the world. Whatever it is, something to leave behind for the benefit of others. Well, I've got some thoughts about this and I want to share a story about someone I'm witnessing right now who is in the process of creating their legacy.  

I'm literally watching this process unfold step by step, day by day, and it's inspired me to create a podcast episode around how to go about actually creating your own legacy. And you'll be happy to hear that I've distilled the process down to three simple steps. Because you know, me, I love to keep things simple. Always remember this: simplicity is power. It's complication that keeps you stuck.  

So in addition to my online programs, for the past 20 plus years I've been running in-person workshops on unblocking your creativity, releasing your money blocks and creating a lifestyle that reflects who you really are, what's really important to you. A lifestyle that highlights your unique purpose in life and your unique interests and values. And I always wish my husband would join one of those workshops at some point.  

So he does a lot of different things, different kinds of work in his life. He owned a construction company, he started the first public storage in Namibia, he owned real estate, he's done a lot of different things. He's a very energetic guy with lots of interests. He's not afraid to try new things, super busy all the time. But I thought it would be so great to get him really thinking about his creativity and what really makes him happy.  

And whenever a new workshop would be coming up, I'd always be like, The Artist’s Way is starting next week, want to join? And he'd always be like, I'm living with The Artist’s Way every day with you. Which is true, it's kind of in my blood and in everything I do. Or I'd be like, my vision boarding workshop is coming up, wanna join? And he'd be like, I've got my vision board in my head.  

But when our daughter went away to boarding school in South Africa for high school, suddenly I think maybe he had more time on his hands or there was a little void in his life. Or I'm not sure, but all of a sudden he was game to join my workshops. And in one of those workshops a few years ago, we were going around the room and sharing some of our goals and wishes and he goes, I want to start an indigenous tree nursery. And we're all like, that sounds cool. And he's like, there's nowhere in Namibia where people can buy the desert plants that grow here.  

So fast forward. And the gist of why I'm sharing this is he then created the first indigenous tree nursery in Namibia. It's called Namib Trees. But what's so interesting about this is from that declaration out loud, in that intimate circle of like-minded people, a momentum has been building for the past few years in Ivor’s life, my husband's name is Ivor, that is literally pulling him into this vortex of energy, where he's now creating the Desert Botanic Garden for Namibia, which could very likely become a world destination for Botanic Gardens.  

So to my husband, this project feels like his legacy. He has connected with his passion for plants, especially Namibia's desert plants, and it's literally expanding into something so much bigger than himself. So much bigger than his first acknowledgment that he had an interest to first just create a nursery and sell water-wise plants to the community. His legacy emerged from his passion.  

And as I watch this whole thing unfold day by day, I'm seeing the components that are fuelling the creation of it. And as I share those components with you, I want you to see the simplicity of it all. And by the way, this is not an easy project for my husband. There are all sorts of hurdles that he's constantly coming up against, like securing funding and bureaucracy and self-doubt. 

But there is a definite simplicity around the process of him creating his legacy and that's what I want to outline for you today, so that you can start formulating your own legacy project. So you can start the momentum rolling. So you can get unstuck from the noise in your mind that tells you your big dream is just too big and complicated. That your idea is ridiculous and will never work. That you don't have what it takes to bring your passion project to life.  

The fact is that you do you have everything you need to bring your big dream to life because you have everything you need to start. And that's the most important component. Your brain will fight you on this and say, No but I don't know how to make it happen. I don't have all the pieces in place. I can't see how the whole thing will unfold. 

And this is what stops everyone from fulfilling their legacy. The need to see how it's all going to work. But when you allow yourself to start right now from where you are only with what you have right now, and then commit, life will step in and start generating momentum like you never could have imagined.  

Okay, so let's go through the three steps to bringing your legacy to life. Number one, connect with your passions. Your legacy is going to have something to do with what you're passionate about. 

I have a client who's passionate about cooking wholesome, healthy food and also passionate about family and bringing people together and creating memories. So she wants to create a cookbook of her recipes, but also includes stories of when her family enjoyed those dishes, what was happening in the family, how and why the recipes evolved, what emotions are tied to those meals. She wants to leave this beautiful legacy, her cookbook, to her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

For my husband, when we started going to the family farm in the desert on weekends, he realized how much he loved the diversity of desert plants and trees, how they survived and thrived even in such harsh, dry conditions. He was connecting with something that made him feel curious and interested and in awe even. 

So connect with what makes you come alive, connect with what excites you, what makes you feel emotional. And it's not always just a positive emotion, by the way. There might also be something that makes you feel angry or frustrated that you wish could be different or that you wish could change. So just as an example, maybe the way racehorses are treated makes you want to create a sanctuary for retired racehorses. Your legacy is connected to some kind of activated emotion within you, whether that's passion and awe, or anger or frustration.  

So the second step to bringing your legacy to life is articulating speaking out exactly what you want to create. Now this one gets people all nervous and feeling paralyzed simply because they are demanding from themselves something that is not available. And that is the certainty of what your legacy will look like. Now notice I said the second step is to articulate exactly what you want to create, not articulate exactly what your legacy will look like. Huge difference here.  

If you take away anything from today's episode I would love it to be this: clarity is not the same as certainty. You can be clear about what you want and also uncertain about what will actually take shape. One of the biggest roadblocks people create for themselves is thinking that clarity and certainty are the same thing. They're not, you don't get to create certainty for your legacy. But you do get to create clarity for your legacy. And that clarity is only valid for what is in your heart right now.  

You can create clarity by connecting with your passions and interests, dreaming a little bit, and then allowing yourself to dream even bigger until you connect with something truly exciting for you. Then you articulate that clarity to someone you trust, someone who's rooting for you, someone who believes in you. There's no use in sharing your vision with what Julia Cameron calls a wet blanket in The Artists Way.  

A wet blanket is someone who throws water on that fire within you. Someone who doesn't see possibility, someone who only looks for reasons why something can't work. So for Ivor as he continued to connect with his passion for desert plants and trees, an idea was born to share that passion and make it accessible to others who might also be interested in seeing the desert plants and trees that grow in Namibia.  

He fueled the idea that was forming by talking about it with like-minded people. He joined groups where other people share that interest. I tease him about his plant people, he's going to see his plant people. But being in spaces with people who share your interests fuels you and gives you energy and even gives you confidence. As his ideas formed in his head he articulated them out loud with people who mirrored his excitement. And this is how momentum starts moving.  

The third step to bringing your legacy to life is to take a step from where you are right now. Take a step in the direction of your dream. And then repeat. This is the simplest, most powerful thing you can do to bring your legacy to life. Thinking about it, planning it out, wondering how it can happen, picturing it, all of that's fine and even fun. But staying in that space without any action keeps it locked away forever.  

This is what we all tend to do. Because it's easier. It's safer. It's not challenging. It doesn't trigger much to just think about your dream. But boy, when you start taking action towards it, things do start to get so uncomfortable. And that's what makes you feel stuck and paralyzed and doubtful. I have this awesome tool that I teach in my Money On Purpose program called the OSSAAT Wheel, and basically it's a way to force yourself to only take one action at a time, one small step at a time.  

Because we all tend to make these long checklists and to do lists of what needs to get done, that we get so overwhelmed by the enormity of it all and then end up doing absolutely nothing. But when you have only the next logical right-feeling action to take next, you can really focus your energy on actually taking that step which moves you forward.  

Remember I told you earlier my husband has lots of energy, isn't afraid to try new things and is constantly going going going. So he naturally has been taking action steps one after the other and his legacy is coming together in the most incredible way already. He has delineated the land for the Botanic Garden—1200 acres on our desert farm. He's already planted hundreds of trees and plants there. He's building structures, some will be herbariums and some will be accommodation for researchers and students. He's created walkways that also have wheelchair access.  

He just takes action, one step at a time, based on what he's envisioned for this Desert Botanic Garden. And when people see pictures of what's happening, they cannot believe everything he's done in just one year. Okay, but I always tell people, he must be an alien. He's got more energy than any Earthling.  

But for the rest of us, we need support and encouragement to take methodical action steps and to keep going. So as I said earlier, the third step in bringing your legacy to life is, from where you are right now, take a step in the direction of your dream. From where you are right now. This is important. There is always something to do to move you closer to the end result. And it's really small, it's doable, and once you do it, it will inform your next step.  

Let me ask you, do you tend to say, Well once I.. then I… Like, Once I have this in place, then I can go do that other thing. Well, all that does is create complication for you and stall you and keep you stuck in a place of inaction. When you take one small step at a time in the direction of your dream, momentum and Providence will become activated and take on a life of their own. 

So let me give you an example of what I mean by momentum and Providence getting activated. So Providence is when you get given what you need, it's provided. My husband was taking his steps, creating his Botanic Garden, talking to people about it. And people started giving him stuff. Fencing, building materials, things started to really fall into place as he took action. There's a saying, when you move, Providence moves to. So be open and curious for what unfolds organically. Be open to unexpected support that shows up for you.  

My husband was recently featured in the Who's Who Namibia publication, celebrating his Desert Botanic Garden, that was once a vision, isn't even complete yet, but it's taking shape as he takes his one small step at a time. He's so surprised that he's on the cover and the people he's included with in this publication. It's all just kind of taking on a life of its own. And yet all he did, and all you have to do is one, connect with your passions, two, articulate your big dreams, speak it out loud, and three, take one small step at a time in that direction.  

I'd love to hear what you want your legacy to be. Send me a DM on Instagram @karenc.powell so I can cheer you on. Also, be sure to catch the next episode of the Make Money Living Your Purpose podcast because it's going to change your life. Big claim I know, but I'm sticking to it.  

Until next time remember, when you heal your money blocks and step into your life's purpose, you become a force for good in the world. I'll see you next time.  

If you're ready to start creating the lifestyle of your dreams, I want to invite you to join GPS, my Gratitude Practice for Success program, where you'll learn my unique and proven manifesting process. It's simple, it's powerful, and it's already helping hundreds of people go from thinking their dreams were impossible, to making them happen quickly. Whether you want to manifest your dream home, your soulmate, a brand new career living your life's purpose, or even financial freedom, it's yours to claim now. Just head over to kcpowell.com/gps and I will show you how.