Naysayers or Legacy
We celebrated a brand-new year not too long ago. Some of you are looking at your resolutions, going over your goals and trying not to ignore the naysayers trying to tell you about how you have been here before and didn’t do it last time.
One of the naysayers may just be you.
We lost a beloved legendary Comedic Queen, Betty White who passed just short of her 100th birthday and never got to see the New year. an incredible legendary actor, an amazing civil rights warrior, and a beloved TV dad recently.
Shortly after, We also lost an incredible and legendary actor how plowed through barriers so many Black actors could walk through that difficult door. His name was Sidney Poitier. We also lost another beloved actor and TV Dad, Bog Saget.
In this short amount of time, we lost an incredible civil rights warrior named Lani Guinier.
As I listened to news commentators and celebrities say and post the passing of Betty White, I keep hearing and seeing the same thing. She just missed her 100th birthday.
But I think of all the things she didn’t miss. She lived her life well. And she loved her life and worked her passions. She created opportunities for herself and others and lead the way for many women to follow her. She told people to get over it when she asked a Black entertainer to be on her show when that was not heard of. They cancelled her but we all know, she not only got over it, but she also soared passed it.
When asked about living a long live and having longevity in the difficult business of entertainment, it is not the funny sarcastic answers I paid attention to. It is what she said in general about her life. She did what she absolutely loved. She did not take herself too seriously and she knew it was not all about her. It was about the work and those around her.
When we think of her, we think of pure joy, laughter, legendary status, philanthropy, her love for animals and the people she met. Whether you saw her as a Golden Girl, Sue Ann Nivens from Mary Tyler Moore, or groundbreaking moment on Saturday Night Live, all of us have fond memories of this great woman. We do because her joy of the work always came through.
To me, in addition to her taking care of herself by eating well and staying active, these are the reasons for her long life and longevity in the business. She lived her passions, she did what made her happy, her light was constantly shining, and she went for what she wanted and never looked back. What an incredible legacy!
Breaking down barriers, opening doors and being front and center for civil rights was also a part of Sidney Poitier’s and Lani Guinier legacies. And one of the last things Bob Saget posted was about how happy he was doing what he absolutely loved to do. Those who knew him spoke about his kindness and being a great friend.
All these great people left a memorable mark and reached great heights in arts and civil rights. They had to shut down naysayers and keep going through incredible odds.
What about you? Are you ready shut down naysayers including the one in your mirror? Are you ready to go after the game changers that lead you to your own ultimate realizations?
We all have a chance to leave a great legacy in our own ways. We all have a chance to realize our passions and most importantly, we all have a chance to fulfill our life’s purpose.
Today is a great day to start. So, let’s get started!
