How to Leave a Legacy That Counts
- Replies 7
There’s a legacy waiting for you to leave — one that goes far beyond money or possessions. Legacy is about building wealth that spans generations. It’s about passing down the lessons of a life well-lived. It’s finding a cause bigger than yourself to leave the world better than you found it. It’s discovering your purpose and using it to impact others.
I believe there’s a natural desire in all of us to contribute, even if we haven’t yet figured out how. Your mission is to uncover what your legacy is — and give it fully.
There are four cornerstones to your Legacy Vision. When you get clear on them, they can become the guiding light for how you plan your entire life from this day forward. Your meaning will amplify. Your decisions will become more intentional. Your mind will be more clear. And your wealth will carry your impact forward for generations to come.
Cornerstone 1: Your Mission and Purpose
I believe we are all here for a reason. Each of us has a mission, and part of our journey is to discover it and live it to the fullest. You were not born just to exist or to work simply to pay bills. You were born to make an impact, no matter how big or small. At my core, I am a teacher. I empower investors to take control of their finances, grow their wealth, and reclaim their freedom. But beyond financial strategies, my true mission is to help people rise above their struggles so they can explore their deeper purpose.
I believe everyone has something valuable to give back to the world, and my goal is to ensure they have the time, money, and capability to pursue it fully. I wonder what your purpose is? Who do you want to impact? How do you want to impact them?
Cornerstone 2: Self-Actualisation – A Life Well Lived
What if we lived so fully that our very existence became our legacy? A life well-lived offers wisdom we can pass down to future generations. I often say that the greatest reward in building wealth and success isn’t what we gain, but who we become along the way. That is the legacy worth sharing — living a life of purpose and showing by example what it means to pursue life wholeheartedly.
Why not decide this in advance? Be intentional in the lessons you want to share. Be intentional in who you want to become. Be intentional in the legacy you leave by being the fullest version of yourself. I wonder… What does a well-lived life mean to you? How do you want to have been known? Imagine you have lived your life as your fullest expression — what are the three lessons you would leave behind?
Cornerstone 3: Family – Intergenerational Wealth
This has always been important to me: building wealth not just for my children, but for future generations. It takes just one person to shift the entire lineage. Now, some of you might think, ‘The little bastards can figure it out themselves, I am spending all my money’ — and that’s also a fair enough choice if you want to make it. Others might want to give a helping hand, and others still want to leave a legacy.
As I write this, we are in the middle of an affordability crisis. Housing affordability worsens each year, not just in Australia, but globally. Personally, I think in the future that first home buyers will be something you see in a museum, with property mostly being passed down from one generation to the next.
Simply giving money isn’t enough — and is potentially irresponsible without the understanding and values to go with it. When I think about intergenerational wealth, it’s not just about passing down money. The real value lies in teaching your children — and their children — how to be responsible stewards of wealth, generous individuals, and people who want to have an impact on the planet, not takers, but givers.
Cornerstone 4: Planet – Leaving the World in a Better Place
How is the world better because you were here? I believe that we all have a responsibility to give something back to our planet that has given us so much. The question is, how will you choose to do that? A few questions to help: What breaks your heart about what is going on in the world right now? What do you want to give back to at a greater level than you are doing now? How do you intend to give back — is it money, time, or expertise? Remember, none of this needs to be grandiose. You do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Crafting a legacy wealth plan is not merely about financial prosperity; it's about leaving a lasting impact. It’s the lives you touch. The choices you provide. The values you instill and the positive change you create. Seize the opportunity today to design a plan that not only secures your financial future but shapes a legacy that ripples for years and decades to come.
Todd Polke is an investor, entrepreneur, and international educator in investing and wealth creation. He is the author of Escape the Middle (Wiley $32.95), a personal escape plan to financial freedom. For over two decades, he has guided thousands of individuals in growing and scaling their wealth to achieve financial independence. Find out more at https://www.portfoliowealth.com/
I believe there’s a natural desire in all of us to contribute, even if we haven’t yet figured out how. Your mission is to uncover what your legacy is — and give it fully.
There are four cornerstones to your Legacy Vision. When you get clear on them, they can become the guiding light for how you plan your entire life from this day forward. Your meaning will amplify. Your decisions will become more intentional. Your mind will be more clear. And your wealth will carry your impact forward for generations to come.
Cornerstone 1: Your Mission and Purpose
I believe we are all here for a reason. Each of us has a mission, and part of our journey is to discover it and live it to the fullest. You were not born just to exist or to work simply to pay bills. You were born to make an impact, no matter how big or small. At my core, I am a teacher. I empower investors to take control of their finances, grow their wealth, and reclaim their freedom. But beyond financial strategies, my true mission is to help people rise above their struggles so they can explore their deeper purpose.
I believe everyone has something valuable to give back to the world, and my goal is to ensure they have the time, money, and capability to pursue it fully. I wonder what your purpose is? Who do you want to impact? How do you want to impact them?
Image source: Lindy Maio / Unsplash
Cornerstone 2: Self-Actualisation – A Life Well Lived
What if we lived so fully that our very existence became our legacy? A life well-lived offers wisdom we can pass down to future generations. I often say that the greatest reward in building wealth and success isn’t what we gain, but who we become along the way. That is the legacy worth sharing — living a life of purpose and showing by example what it means to pursue life wholeheartedly.
Why not decide this in advance? Be intentional in the lessons you want to share. Be intentional in who you want to become. Be intentional in the legacy you leave by being the fullest version of yourself. I wonder… What does a well-lived life mean to you? How do you want to have been known? Imagine you have lived your life as your fullest expression — what are the three lessons you would leave behind?
Cornerstone 3: Family – Intergenerational Wealth
This has always been important to me: building wealth not just for my children, but for future generations. It takes just one person to shift the entire lineage. Now, some of you might think, ‘The little bastards can figure it out themselves, I am spending all my money’ — and that’s also a fair enough choice if you want to make it. Others might want to give a helping hand, and others still want to leave a legacy.
As I write this, we are in the middle of an affordability crisis. Housing affordability worsens each year, not just in Australia, but globally. Personally, I think in the future that first home buyers will be something you see in a museum, with property mostly being passed down from one generation to the next.
Simply giving money isn’t enough — and is potentially irresponsible without the understanding and values to go with it. When I think about intergenerational wealth, it’s not just about passing down money. The real value lies in teaching your children — and their children — how to be responsible stewards of wealth, generous individuals, and people who want to have an impact on the planet, not takers, but givers.
Cornerstone 4: Planet – Leaving the World in a Better Place
How is the world better because you were here? I believe that we all have a responsibility to give something back to our planet that has given us so much. The question is, how will you choose to do that? A few questions to help: What breaks your heart about what is going on in the world right now? What do you want to give back to at a greater level than you are doing now? How do you intend to give back — is it money, time, or expertise? Remember, none of this needs to be grandiose. You do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Crafting a legacy wealth plan is not merely about financial prosperity; it's about leaving a lasting impact. It’s the lives you touch. The choices you provide. The values you instill and the positive change you create. Seize the opportunity today to design a plan that not only secures your financial future but shapes a legacy that ripples for years and decades to come.
Todd Polke is an investor, entrepreneur, and international educator in investing and wealth creation. He is the author of Escape the Middle (Wiley $32.95), a personal escape plan to financial freedom. For over two decades, he has guided thousands of individuals in growing and scaling their wealth to achieve financial independence. Find out more at https://www.portfoliowealth.com/
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