Week 50

WEEK FIFTY
Hello and welcome to Week Fifty of The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan.
This week Jim and Chris share on the Importance of a Spiritual Legacy and an Impact
Legacy. After reviewing their notes, I was reminded of my dad. My dad passed away just
over 10 years ago, and naturally I still miss him.
My dad was quiet and well-liked by everyone who knew him. If I had to best describe his
attributes I would say he was honest, friendly, positive, giving and hard-working. He
never judged others (except in a positive light), nor did he put his beliefs on others
(although he had strong convictions). On numerous occasions after I was grown, I would
be told by different friends or acquaintances of my dad things like; "Your dad was my
best friend", "Your dad was the most honest person I've ever known", or "Your dad
walked his talk", etc. As a kid, I remember many times walking by his bedroom and
seeing him on his knees saying his evening bedtime prayers.
Fortunately my wife met my dad and was able to get to know him. Unfortunately, he
passed away before either of my kids were born. Yet his spirit and his legacy still live
today, and they appear in so many tangible ways.
I see my dad every day in my daughter's soft heart, love for animals and all of life and her
caring personality. He is in my son's smile, love of sports along with my dad being his
namesake (his middle name is Warren).
My dad didn't talk a lot about his beliefs, but he certainly lived them. Warren Wilson's
life and legacy has had an effervescent effect on everyone that knew him. The world and
those who knew him are so much better because of the life he chose to live and the
decisions he made - the legacy he left.
He is still with me in spirit, and is loved very much! And for the legacy he left to me and
my family, I will always be a very blessed and appreciative son.
Have a great week!
Kyle
“Material success may result in the accumulation of possessions; but only
spiritual success will enable you to enjoy them.”
-- Nido Qubein
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Jim Rohn's Twelfth Pillar of Success: Leaving A Legacy, Part
Three - The Importance of a Spiritual Legacy and an Impact
Legacy
Hi, Jim Rohn here. This month we focus on leaving a legacy. Here is an overview of the
month.
1. A Life Well-Lived. Week one of this month covered the importance of leaving a
legacy of a life well-lived. We learned how our lives impact all those who follow behind
us. We also introduced the topics we will review during the month.
2. Principles to Live By. Last week we covered key principles to live by that will help
you leave a legacy. These will be the foundations of a life that leaves an impact on others.
The principles we live by are the basis for the kind of legacy we will leave behind. We
will also begin our how-to's by looking at how to leave a relational legacy. All of life is
based on relationships, and we choose what direction those relationships go. We can live
our lives in such a way that when we are gone, people are impacted by the relational
legacy we left behind.
3. The Importance of a Spiritual Legacy and an Impact Legacy. This week will cover
both how to leave a spiritual legacy as well as how to leave an "impact legacy." The core
of who we are as individuals is spiritual. We were created with the intention of relating to
God through our spiritual life. One of the greatest gifts we can leave behind is a spiritual
example and legacy. We will also talk about how to leave a life legacy that impacts
people. There are those who live on this earth and then just disappear, leaving little more
than a trace. Then there are others who by their legacy, live on through others for years to
come. We will talk about how to be the latter.
4. Financial Legacy. In week four we will look at leaving a business legacy, a financial
legacy and a family legacy. We will see how the businesses we operate have a deeper
impact than we might have imagined. We will talk about establishing a strong financial
base that will provide for others long-term. We will also look at one of the most
important aspects of legacy, those we touch most deeply--our family.
So let's talk about the topics for this week!
Leaving a Spiritual Legacy
As listed above, we will talk about a financial legacy next week – something that many
people strive for; that is important indeed. But even more important, in fact most
important in my mind, is a spiritual legacy.
What is a spiritual legacy? It is the kind of spiritual life you instill in your children, your
spouse, friends, co-workers and relatives. It is also the example you set for them to
follow.
As many of you are aware after reading just a portion of my writings, or from listening to
my audio programs, the profound impact that my own parents had on me is obvious. And
the most important legacy they left for me was a spiritual legacy--my faith.
We live in a world that focuses on the material. Of course that is where we live and the
material world is important. But even more important is our spiritual world. The fact is
that we are going to spend a lot more time in our spiritual existence than we are in our
temporal home on this earth. That idea alone should motivate us to spend more energy on
our own spiritual lives and the legacy we leave for others.
Let’s take some time this week to give some thought and reflection on how to leave a
dynamic spiritual legacy, but one brief note before we do. I am writing this from the
perspective of my own faith, Christianity. I recognize and appreciate those of you who
may not share my faith. I simply ask if I use language in the following paragraphs that is
specific to Christianity, that you would take the principles and the philosophy and apply
it to your specific situation.
Here are some principles for leaving a spiritual legacy:
1. Understand that you are a spiritual person. You have a body, yes. You also have a
mind, will and emotions. You can’t see them, but they are there. You also have a spiritual
core – a soul if you will, that is every bit as much a part of you as your left arm is. You
may not see it, and society may not place a high value on it, but you are – at your core – a
spiritual person as much as you are a physical person. In fact, when your physical body
dies, your spiritual “body” will live on. Because of this, commit to a dynamic spiritual
life yourself.
2. To be a wealthy person you must commit time and energy to making money and
wise investments. To be a healthy person you must commit time and energy to
exercising and eating right. To be an intelligent person you must commit time and energy
to learning, memorizing and studying. To be a spiritual person you must commit time and
energy to developing your spiritual person through spiritual disciplines. If you don’t
commit to this, and discipline yourself the same way you would in other areas of life, you
will not achieve growth in your spiritual life.
3. Study the scriptures and internalize them. The wealth of
knowledge that I have found in the Bible is incalculable. It is
immeasurable, and it is invaluable. So much of my philosophy for
life, work and business comes from a foundation the Bible and its
teachings have provided. My parents taught me at an early age to
study the Bible and to internalize it through memorizing both
chapter and verse, as well as the concepts they contained. Words
cannot describe how important that has been to me in my life. If
you want to become financially wise you would read the Wall
Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004 726
Street Journal and books on investing so you can gain knowledge. If you want spiritual
knowledge you must study the scriptures. But don’t just study them, make them a part of
who you are.
4. Follow the Golden Rule. Perhaps the most well known concept from the Bible is the
Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It seems obvious to
me that the reason it is so well known is because it is so applicable. It is something that
anyone can hold up as a goal for their life and conduct. And in doing so, it will make you
a more spiritual person because it will cause you to value people more and be more
concerned for their needs.
5. Be a “pray-er” as well as a doer. There is an old saying that you should pray like it
depends on God and act like it depends on you. That is good advice and we would do
well to take heed of it. Unfortunately, I think many people ignore what I view to be a
tremendous source of strength--prayer. I do not mean elaborate prayers. I mean straight
and simple reflection and communication with God. It is powerful when you are doing
the best you can and then letting God take care of the rest.
6. Be involved in a community of faith. One of the things I hear when I talk with people
is the complaint that churches are full of hypocrites. Well, I know that people are not
perfect. I know that people do things they shouldn’t, even in the name of God. But I also
know that there are millions of good-willed and good-hearted people in the world who
are a part of a local community of faith and who can potentially bring a great deal of
good to you if you had a relationship with them. When you find the right one – and it
may take some looking – you will benefit by belonging to a community of faith.
7. Keep an eternal perspective. Sometimes people take life too seriously. They forget
that the day will come when it will be time to pack up all the marbles, hand them to the
person who comes after them and go home. We would do well to remember that this life
is short. Yes, it is important – very important – but it is also temporal. It isn’t going to
last. The only thing that lasts is the legacy that you create, develop and leave for those
who come after you.
8. Take your children to church. I love what my good friend Zig
Ziglar says when asked why parents should take their children to
church: “Parents should take their children to church for the same
reason they should make them eat broccoli--because it’s good for
them!” I truly believe that a good moral, religious and spiritual
foundation that teaches the concepts of the Bible and how to have a
relationship with God are absolutely essential for the human life,
especially if you take a look around at what is going on in the world
today – more now than ever before. Yes, parents are the primary
instructors of their children, but involvement in a good church will
provide a tremendous support system.
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9. Live out what you know to be true spiritually. You have heard the word before--
hypocrite. Essentially a hypocrite is one who says they believe one thing but then does
another. The world would be better off with fewer hypocrites. One of the goals in leaving
a spiritual legacy is that we should live in such a way that we are not hypocritical. We act
according to what we say we believe. Yes, we all make mistakes – that is part of being
human – but there is a big difference between making a one-time mistake and lifestyle
patterns that conflict with what you say you believe. If you want people to take your
spiritual legacy seriously, then this is an issue to settle in your life.
10. Love others. In all things, act in love. If you can’t say that what you are doing, or
saying, or even thinking, falls under the category of love, then don’t do it. The Bible says
“God is Love.” If God is described that way, then we would do well to strive to emulate
Him and live the kind of lives that are characterized by love.
Folks, you will leave a legacy of some sort. The powerful thought is that we get to choose
what kind it will be. Take some time this week to think through what kind of spiritual
legacy you will leave behind. Will people be better off spiritually by your actions, your
words, your very life? Let’s all make it a goal that the people we come in contact with
will indeed.
Next, Chris is going to talk about how to leave an impact legacy--great stuff.
Until next week, let's do something remarkable!
Jim Rohn
“Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching
and learning is where the miracle process all begins.”
-- Jim Rohn
Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004 728
Hi there, Chris Widener here. This week I want to talk with you about leaving an impact
legacy. "What is an impact legacy?" you may ask. It is how you impact people and the
world around you. You see, many people glide through life and do not make much of an
impact. That is unfortunate. Others though, those driven by a purpose and passion for
living, are continually making the world a better place and making an impact wherever
they go. That’s what I believe you want to do.
In order to help you reflect upon this this week, I want to ask you a question:
Q. What in the world are you doing?
Here is the typical life – typical, though not everybody does it this way. But for the most
part, people's lives generally go something like this:
You’re born
You eat and sleep
You play with toys
You go to school
You play little league
You go to school
You learn to drive
You go to school
You leave high school
You go to more school, but you pay for it now
You get a job
You get married
You buy a house
You have kids
You watch your kids eat, sleep, play and go to school
You work, work, and work
You retire
You die
That’s the basic life, isn’t it? I know there is more to it, but that is about it for most
people.
Here is that question again: What in the world are you doing?
I mean, what are you doing besides the typical “enjoying yourself while you are waiting
to die” scenario? What kind of impact are you making?
What I believe sets the successful apart is that they don’t just live the average life. They
don’t just pass time. They make an impact. They have something compelling in their life
that drives them – something that gives them an answer when they are asked that
question:
What in the world are you doing?
Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004 729
I’m helping children.
I’m creating a business that supports many families.
I lead a church.
I am defending our liberties.
I am raising great children.
I’m teaching others to improve their lives.
I help people have fun.
I create memories for people.
In other words, successful people always come down to this:
I make an impact and help other people by (fill in your purpose here).
What in the world are you doing?
If you want to be successful, you need to be able to answer that by describing how you
help others. Because if you aren’t helping others – if you aren’t making an impact – you
are just taking up space, eating food and waiting to die.
Here’s the question for you to answer this week and what to do with your answer:
What in the world are you doing?
If you know, then you are good to go – live it and make an impact!
If you don’t know, then maybe you need to reflect on what you are doing, what your life
is about, and how you can explode the mundane bubble you may be living in!
The world needs impact makers – so live to be one!
Have a great week!
Chris Widener
“Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by
failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer
much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat.”
-- Theodore Roosevelt
Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004 730
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Q. How would you rate your spiritual life right now? What are your
strengths and weaknesses?
Q. How well do you know the concepts of the Bible? If you don't know them well, what
could you do to begin to embrace these life-changing concepts?
Q. Are you involved in a community of faith? If so, how has that been helpful to you? If
not, how could you move toward one so as to provide yourself with relationships with
others who share the same spiritual values?
Q. If you were to die today, what would be your “impact legacy?” What could you do,
beginning this week, to make – and leave – a bigger impact on the world?
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1. As you go about your week, purposefully ask yourself (and then act upon) the
following: In the current situation I'm in, how can I best apply The Golden Rule?
2. Take some time each day to invest in your spiritual life. It may be the first 15 minutes
of your day, or the last 15. It may be during your lunch break each day. The important
idea is to do it in a way that works for you.
3. Involve yourself in a community of faith. Take some time this week to participate
with a group of people who have similar ideals and spiritual goals as you do. You will
help them and they will help you!
A.
B.
C.
4. Do something impactful this week – something that will truly make a difference in the
life of someone else. Write it here.
Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004 732
Review of Brian Tracy’s CD Sixteen
• Achieving success in family and business
• Balance between family and work
• Investing your time
• The key to balance
• Being with your family
• Seven roles for the 21st century
See you next week,
Chris Widener
Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004 733
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