Why I Think About My Legacy Every Day

“Every bit of knowledge that becomes power has death as its central force. Death lends the ultimate touch, and whatever is touched by death indeed becomes power.” – Carlos Castaneda

Almost no one likes to talk about death. At least no one in my family growing up did. And yet, death was happening. 

Every week I went with my mother to the cemetery to bring flowers to my godfather who passed away when I was two. Then, we brought flowers to my little sister who didn’t make it out of the womb alive when I was eight years old. Then, more death came. To my grandmother, then my boyfriend, then my brother, then my own mother, then my father. I had been to dozens of funerals. Death has been hunting me, guiding me somehow, encouraging me to set priorities, to put aside my stubborn old ideas and embrace new ones. My own death is something I think about often. 

One of the reasons I was hooked by Carlos Castaneda’s work on the teachings of the Seers of Ancient Mexico was because he talked about death, almost daily. He wrote about death in his books and saw death as the ultimate enemy, and the ultimate liberation. A force impossible to overcome and even comprehend, and yet, a warrior could offer it a big fight. 

One of the ways Death inspires us, as Castaneda did, is by making us think about leaving a legacy behind for others to overcome fears and connect with who they really are, “a being of energy.”

With Castaneda, I learned gratitude and to live each moment as my last. Before going on stage the first day of a workshop, he would say to me, “Go and give your very best, because you don’t know if this is your last day. Live it as if it was.”

When I think this way, that today, this week, or this month can be the last of my life, I instantly feel grateful and realize how precious each and every moment is. How powerful each and every thought I think is. How there’s no better time to start living intentionally and crafting my legacy, than now.

In an intellectual way, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life while learning from Carlos Castaneda. Consistently, he would ask me, “What do you want to do with your life?” I had no idea. He would ask me, “What imprint do you want to leave behind. What imprint do you want to leave every day? 

At that time, I understood what he was saying on an intellectual level. But, the birth of my child took my understanding to a whole new level, a physical level, a tangible level. My baby was right there in front of me. I started thinking, who do I want to be for this person? What kind of mother? What kind of principles, what kind of beliefs, what kind of world do I want to leave behind for him and the next generation?

That was 10 years ago. Now, I think about my legacy each and every day. I actively make choices that align with the message of my life. Because the way I show up to my life on a daily basis, the way I relate to others, THAT is my legacy. I leave an imprint wherever I go.

Besides my child, another important area of my legacy are the Path witH heart Online classes I created with my husband, Dr. Reid. We started teaching these online classes for self-inquiry and discovery in early 2010.  Now, we are about to launch our 25th Series!

A wonderful community of leaders, artists, homemakers, teachers, and professionals from over 26 countries, get together every Sunday to practice sequences of movements and breaths. We guide them through a series of exercises to hone our attention, to be present and to stay loyal to our commitment to grow in all areas of our lives. 

Path with Heart, Lead Your Legacy, begins December 3rd. The focus of this cycle is to creatively find ways to take the reigns of our lives and be the drivers of our destiny. Leading your legacy means getting out of the victim mindset and taking charge. It’s about transitioning from the mentality that says, “There’s nothing I can do about this,” to “Yes, I can do something about this, I can co-create my life.” Leading your legacy means living intentionally with a thriving purpose that fulfills your life, and ignites every action and step you take with love and vitality!

The series lasts for 12 weeks, with classes every Sunday from December 3rd to February 25th. The setup for the program is truly unique, allowing you to learn in a live online class format while connecting with our global community of students. 

The classes address your whole being, and not just on Sundays! You receive encouraging daily and weekly emails to support you in between classes. You can also participate in small witnessing groups to build relationships with others outside of class. 

It’s not too late to register for our  Path With Heart series! Start your journey today!