Welcome to the Legacy Lyrics and Life blog, where we explore the depths of what legacy truly means and its profound impact on our lives. Today, we dive into an enlightening discussion on how a generational understanding can serve as a compass in clarifying and crafting your legacy.

Understanding Generational Influence

Generational understanding involves recognizing and appreciating the people who came before us—our ancestors—and how their lives intertwine with ours. You might have seen statements like “I walk with the power of a thousand ancestors behind us” on a t-shirt, but what does that power truly mean? How do the lives and experiences of those who preceded us shape our present and future?

Our Legacy, Choice by Choice

Daily, our actions are imprinted with the legacy left by previous generations. It’s like building a quilt, where each choice and experience becomes a thread. Becoming aware of this connection helps us understand how our lineage has influenced who we are and what our actions mean.

Linking to Our Lineage

Before we delve into actionable steps, consider this: In what order do you shower? Face, feet, hair, or perhaps another order? Most likely, it’s routine, something done without thinking—this is muscle memory. Similarly, we have muscle memories from our lineage deeply ingrained within us. These sometimes manifest during life’s challenges, guiding us when we’re unsure how to proceed. Often, the solutions lie in lessons woven into our DNA, passed down unknowingly.

Our past generations have equipped us with skills for survival and growth, such as the fight or flight instinct. Alongside such instincts, generational habits or behaviors are also passed down—habits as simple as how we respond to cold weather or how we pace our meals.

Recognizing & Reshaping Legacy

We each have aspects of our legacy inherited from others, and someday, we’ll be part of someone else’s lineage. It’s our responsibility to recognize the gifts from our past and decide which ones to cherish or disrupt. For example, my own lineage taught me the value of hard work, but it also overlooked the importance of rest for creativity. Thus, I’ve chosen to emphasize rest and reflection as essential components for creativity.

Three Steps to Discover Your Generational Gifts

1. Visualize the Past: Reflect on your family history, going back about three generations. Imagine what their lives were like, what they valued, and what they worked towards. This visualization helps in uncovering hidden gifts or lessons.
2. Examine Artifacts: Consider the tangible elements from the lives of those before you. For instance, my grandmother’s acts of bringing family together through her cooking reveal a legacy of connection. Understanding these artifacts provides context and understanding of the different life approaches.
3. Conduct an Interview: Find someone from an older generation and interview them. Ask profound questions, gaining insights into their experiences. This can reveal life lessons that resonate with or inform your own.

Bonus Tip: Capture Your Learnings

To solidify this exploration, create something tangible that embodies what you’ve learned—a statement, a piece of art, or a journal entry. Documenting your journey gives you a clearer sense of who you are and shapes who you aspire to become.

Moving Forward

Through this powerful exploration, Shawna invites listeners to connect with their heritage and understand the unique impact they can have. By honoring the wisdom of those who came before us, we can build a legacy that is not only personal but also rooted in the resilience and values of our lineage. Tune in for an inspiring journey into the heart of generational legacy-building.

Resources

About the 7 Gen Legacy Group

7 Gen is a legacy planning company, helping leaders name and claim the legacies they aim to leave. They are inspired by the philosophy of seven generation thinking and the Sanofka principle. 7 Gen offers personal legacy coaching as well as executive coaching for organizational legacies.In addition they have a number of workshops and retreats to transform your life and legacy.

Sign up for the newsletter to never miss an episode, workshop, or insight from 7Gen Legacy Group

Living Your Legacy, Spring 2025 Application

10 Rituals for Living Your Legacy at Work