Legacy Letter Builder

Last Will & Testament · A Legacy Letter, written at twenty

This is my legacy letter. I began writing it at the age of twenty to reflect on the purpose as well as the meaningfulness of life. I wrote it to define who I was and how I should live; to remind myself what I was here for, and to rid my life of any false idols or attachments. Not being satisfied by the unformed philosophies that deemed the purpose of life 'meaningless' or 'unknowable', I fiercely sought after the truth so that I could clearly establish my priorities and define the most important aspects of my life. With the next three paragraphs, I will outline for you the greatest lessons I have ever learned along with what I found to be the three ingredients to a life of meaning.

The third on my list of ingredients was finding 'a passion to live for'. Passion was the energy that kept me going and filled my life with happiness, excitement, and anticipation. I found out relatively early in life that my greatest passions were adventure, philosophy, and entrepreneurship, and it was through these three passions of mine that I believed I could change the world. This is why my heart was always set on doing what deserved to be remembered, on writing what deserved to be read, and on working towards that which could benefit the lives around me. The passion that I held for adventure initially came about from a deeper desire that I had to live an uncommon life. I wanted my life to be a testimony to the joy that can be found in spontaneous living, and I wanted to prove that adventure could offer up more than just an adrenaline rush. Whether I was experiencing the beauty of creation from a mountaintop or praying a hundred miles a minute from the back of a bull, adventure often spurred me on in my spiritual life. In addition, these adventures served as constant reminders for me to live boldly without regret while I was still able to. Because I was not afraid to die, I was certainly never afraid to live. When I wasn't planning or seeking my next adventure, my free-time would lead me to practice and study entrepreneurship. In my eyes, entrepreneurship was not just another way of earning a weekly paycheck; it was what I was put on this earth to do. I did not care much to leave a legacy or to have great numbers of people remember my name, but what I did care about was leaving an impact on this earth that could benefit and enrich people's lives decades after I was gone. Since I was in the business of serving others, there was always work to be done and I was never without a job. I fell in love with entrepreneurship because it allowed me to structure my business around my life, and not the other way around. It empowered me to trade up from money to meaning, to innovate and bring ideas to life, and to contribute to something greater than myself. My boundless fascination with all of life's fundamental problems and questions spurred me on not only in my study of entrepreneurship but also with philosophy. Although philosophy provided no survival value to me while I walked the earth, it was one of those things that gave value to my survival. Stepping into each day with an insatiable sense of wonder, I often found myself reading new books, dwelling on life's beauty, and critically thinking about the big picture. Since I preferred discussing ideas and insights over chatting about people and events, my favorite conversations were usually the ones where I had to reflect on, analyze, and articulate what I stood for. Thanks to teachers like Socrates, Montaigne, and Thoreau, I was able to learn invaluable lessons at a young age; lessons that helped me grasp the silliness of self-importance, the danger of unchecked materialism, the necessity of gratitude, and the value of self-improvement. My love of wisdom ultimately inspired me to spell out what I considered to be my purpose in life, and as a result, I can now write with joy that I was able to live up to my full potential.

The second (and even greater) ingredient to a life of meaning was having 'people to love'. I placed this ingredient above 'passion' to remind myself that life isn't just about experiences and achievements; it's about our hearts, and who they beat for. It's about the relationships we have with family members, best friends, and strangers, and it's about taking the time to strengthen and value those relationships every day. Dad, Mom, Emily, Grant, Kate — you were dearer to me than language has the power of telling. Though our household was just one tent away from a full-blown circus, there was more than enough love, grace, and memories to last a lifetime. You were a shadow to my presence and a testament to forgiveness. You loved me when I was the least lovable, and you showered me with encouragement when I reached new heights. Not only did you truly understand the story that I was living, but you helped me write it. What a blessing to know, that all along, the secret to having it all was knowing that I already did. And now to my best friends — I can't thank you enough for your loyalty, humor, support, and most of all for your company. You multiplied the joy in my life and made my time here more meaningful and interesting. Playing golf, drinking beer, road-tripping, and hanging by the fire with you meant the world to me. Your eyes were the mirror that I saw myself through, and your advice was the counsel that I lived by. Thank you for giving me the rarest of friendships and for building me up with kindness beyond compare. Whether I was with family, friends, or strangers, every situation seemed to present an opportunity to express love. There were big moments in every hour, every conversation, every meal, and every meeting. Granted, not every day offered me the chance to save someone's life, but through love, every day offered me an opportunity to affect one. With this in mind, I wanted my life to be defined by more than what was etched on a tombstone; I wanted it to be defined by what was etched in the lives and hearts of those around me. I lived knowing that I would not be judged by the diplomas I received, how much money I made, or how many hours I worked, but rather how many bellies I filled, how many people I served, and how many souls I prayed for. I hope that you will remember me by my eulogy virtues rather than my resumé virtues because those are the ones that mattered most to me. Above all, my relationships taught me that love is the highest goal to which anyone can aspire, and I hope that you will hold onto and remember this simple truth whenever you think of me. For the salvation and redemption of man is through love and in love, and there's no better way to fulfill your purpose than by submitting to others out of reverence for Christ. Being your son/brother/friend was the joy of my life, and though death can steal a life, it cannot steal a relationship. The beauty of spreading love and building relationships resides in its boundlessness and immortality. Life has to end. Love doesn't.

Even with all of the happiness that came from adventure, entrepreneurship, philosophy, family, and friendships, I knew that I was meant to desire and be satisfied by something greater. Passion and relationships made my time meaningful on this earth, but they would have been meaningless without the first and most essential ingredient, which is communion with God. It was this, along with my hope in heaven, that allowed me to invest in my passions and relationships and know that my investments were not in vain. Because of this ingredient's primary importance in my life, my satisfaction and well-being never came from anything that I knew about myself, but only and always from what I knew about Him. I exchanged life as I knew it for life as God knew it should be, and in my twenty-six years of living, I couldn't imagine devoting my life to a greater vision. The purpose of my life was far greater than my own personal fulfillment, peace of mind, or happiness. That's because I wasn't put on this earth to be remembered. I was put here to have fierce conversations and to love with a steadfast, earnest, and unconditional love. I was meant to empty out my heart every single day and let Christ fill it back up every single night. I was meant to grow in the fruit of the spirit and I was meant to live with a radical obedience to a life scripted by the Author of true purpose and adventure. Most of all, I was meant to prepare myself and others for eternity so that one day we can all be in fellowship with God. I hope that you too will recognize and acknowledge the love of Christ, though it is too great to fully understand. For every day that you live for Him, your love will grow more perfect, so remember to practice the presence of God; not as if He were up above the clouds, but as if he was near to you every moment of the day. Remember also that there is a Great Book of Wisdom, for every pivotal stage in your life, that is able to place your unique experiences inside a larger story. I assure you that there are far better things ahead than any we leave behind, and I can't wait to be reunited with you one day in God's kingdom. After all, our true citizenship is not on earth, but in Heaven, and our lives are destined for a divine triumph that will continue throughout eternity. Though I was in communion with God during my time on earth, I will get to know Him even better now, for my life on earth has been but the cover and the title page of a much greater story; a story in which I have only just begun. Now I must press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. My hope is that this letter will encourage you, inspire you and lift you up throughout your years, since I will no longer be here to do so. I hope it stirs your affections for your interesting life, and for the One who made it all so interesting. Most of all, I hope that you use your remaining time to focus on and conquer the grand essentials of life; that you will find a passion to live for, people to love on, and a paradise to look forward to, just as I had during my time on earth. God Bless.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." — 2 Timothy 4:7–8