How do you want to be remembered? Your footprint-hoofprint?

by Carmel Rowley

“Remember your humanity and forget the rest”
Albert Einstein

Have you ever stopped to think about how you’ll be remembered, by friends, your fellow breeders or even by the people in the town where you live? Recently I’ve been thinking about our legacy. This is what research does; it takes you off into the past, forcing you to ponder how a small gesture of kindness or the right word may have had the ability to change a person’s destiny.  So in reading the history books needed for my research and having lived among competitive human beings for some forty + years, there is one thing I know for certain! If you say or do one thing wrong, it will be recalled over and over, maybe even, long after you’ve departed this world. In fact I’ve heard it said a bad thing is repeated on average 15 times while a good thing only 7!

These days I’m far too busy, and getting a bit too old, to go through life wondering what people think of me. But I certainly believe we should always consider the consequences of our actions. I’m the first to admit that I constantly struggle with life’s lessons. However, people should try and be aware of all the things they do and say because these words or actions will be seen and recalled many times throughout a life-time.

For example: in my mind’s eye I still vividly see the purposely cruel behavior by trainers in the marshaling area at the 1997 USA Egyptian Event. The images of the out of control, almost criminal actions, of the ‘hazers’ at Aachen 2004 shocked me so much I visualized the possible consequences of such ridiculous behavior and wrote the scene into book 2 of my Daughters of the Wind series. Sadly, after experiencing such behavior, the people I once admired tremendously now have no estimation in my eyes!

And see – I’m still talking about it!

How you treat people, will also affect how you’re treated. Treat and speak with respect; and in return the laws of attraction ensure you are treated in the same way. Of course, there are those who just don’t know how to give respect, and they continually behave in the same fashion habitually. I’ve noticed that most people don’t change; instead they often cleverly hide their true selves. The important thing is that you can change or choose the way you deal with those people. Steven West, author of ‘What happens when we Die,’ would say; ‘hence the need to reincarnate and learn, we have been doing this for eternity.’

We all should treat each other fairly and kindly, because that’s how we ourselves want to be treated. What goes around; comes around, as the saying goes. I consider being kind to the creatures of our earth; honesty with integrity, thoughtful, loving and generous habits to be great ways to leave a personal legacy.
As time moves on, how do you think others speak about you? I think we should all prepare the way today; so that the words spoken tomorrow will be that of admiration, not of pity or shameful acts.
So stop now and think about what kind of “legacy” you want to leave behind?
What type of “footprint-hoofprint” would you like to be remembered by?