Things You'll Need:
- Pen and paper
- Computer
- Video recorder (optional)
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Step 1
Reflect upon your life. Before setting up the keyboard or sitting down in front of the video camera, take the time to reflect upon the belief system you want to share. Consider which of your life's accomplishments you are most proud. Like a child's fable imparting a lesson, think about what the moral of your story would be.
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Step 2
Reach to a target audience. How you write a legacy statement depends upon to whom it is directed. If you are trying to paint a corporate picture, consider where you want your company to go once you are gone. If you are sending a message to family and friends, think of the positive message of your life you would want them to hold onto and strive to emulate.
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Step 3
Introduce yourself. For those people reading who might never have known you, your legacy statement will need to begin with an introduction. If you are the founder of a company, you can paint a powerful picture of yourself and of your aspirations for your life's work to those who might only know you as a name on a plaque.
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Step 4
Give advice. A legacy statement is an opportunity to offer up the wisdom you have garnered from your life to those you leave behind. Be honest and give the people in your life the chance to learn from your successes and from your failures.
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Step 5
Tell them you love them. In addition to painting a last self impression, a legacy statement can also be an opportunity to let the people in your life know, one last time, just how much you cared for them and how they impacted your life.
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Step 6
Write the text. Even if you choose to videotape your legacy statement, prepare a hard copy of the text. You can read from it as you speak, but more importantly, it will be insurance against developing technology that might hinder the viewing of your legacy statement by future audiences.
