Footprints
When they die, everyone leaves something behind, a footprint of sorts that impression you make on the surface. Does it ever occur to you what footprint you will leave behind, that something that your energy touched somehow? With an entirely different blog topic in mind this morning, I switched it up completely as I felt compelled to expand more on the subject of our footprint and what that may mean to us.
It wasn’t until I had children that I became fully aware of my impact on another and how the legacy of parenting could generate future positive footprints. I was always a big fan of baby-feet photos, and I was drawn to the tiny, perfect, unmarked little feet fully intact, ready to take on the world. Brand new in the world, they held so much potential. I could either teach and guide through love and example, or well, and there’s the other. I knew this job would be probably the most important job that I would have, and as it turns out, it was! Parenting for me was by far the most rewarding, especially when I saw my children reflecting the values and qualities of my parenting footprint.
Of course, we all know that our impact on life comes in countless ways. When you stop to consider your WHY behind your footprint, it indeed doesn’t have to be a grandiose act but rather a consistent stream of small actions. Consider how a few kind words to someone emotionally vulnerable on any given day can have a lasting impression. I value the power of words, so being mindful of my word choices is at the top of my WHY list. We all come into this world with a special gift, and sharing that gift with the world establishes our footprint. Consider the trickle-down effect that your sense of humor left on the whole when you could laugh at something that would typically cause someone to growl. Perhaps you’re a gifted crafter, and your mark is left in the inspiring pieces created. Family recipes and traditions are a rich way of leaving behind treasure. Your legacy can come through your body of work, or mentoring others can have a lasting impact. Small acts of kindness such as remembering someone’s name, smiling, and making eye contact bring about a human connection that is meaningful. Holding space for another and giving without being asked is simply treating others the way you would wish to be treated. Be true to who you are, and identify your strengths; that’s where your impact lays; it’s there for each of us. The legacy of what we leave behind goes far beyond our possessions.
How will the world be a better place because you were in it? What do you want your life to stand for? Becoming aware of your answer may influence your day-to-day decisions and interactions positively. This isn’t ego-driven; instead, it’s reflective of how we leave our trace. Everything we do and everywhere we go leaves a trace in the world. Consider for a moment the trace that is left virtually with social media and other online activity. Your fingerprints formed well before you made an appearance in the world mark your unique stamp of having been present on earth at some point. You did come here to leave your mark in the world. Every moment of every day, we are energetically imprinting some part of ourselves on humankind. Others will follow us, and the imprint of our existence will remain; what will your footprint be? Remember that we are connected at this moment and will be 300 years from now. Be the change the world needs.
We try to leave the world a little bit better. Years from now, what will people miss about you? What will they even remember about you? We want to feel as if our life mattered. Still, perhaps it’s more in the knowing that when we return home, we have left a footprint that acknowledges we did our best most of the time and we took advantage of the opportunity, one moment, one person, one animal, one planet at a time to cast love into the world.
Light The Path!
Donna XO
Ancient Fossilized Footprints