January 20th, 2017 was hard for many people (especially for people of color). We said goodbye to President Obama after his 8 year administration. I became a little emotional as I watched video clips of President Obama and Michelle Obama walking up the steps of their jet preparing to leave. They both turned to face the crowd one last time and waved goodbye before boarding.
I was at work during Donald Trump’s inauguration. I didn’t care to watch any of the inauguration events so instead I watched old YouTube clips from 2008 during President Obama’s inauguration. The energy was so much more positive back then and the diversity among the crowd was very apparent. Looking back I didn’t appreciate that moment as much as I should have.
As I watched and reminisced about the exuberance during that time I also thought about how quickly 8 years had flown by. I reflected back on my own life over the last 8 years and I questioned whether or not I had been using my time efficiently. Thinking back on the last several years of my life, I spent most of that time pursuing advanced degrees and working at jobs that I wasn’t passionate about.
One of my biggest fears is dying without being remembered; lately I’ve been thinking about what my legacy will be after I’m gone. In previous blog posts I have shared my personal story of leaving my job two years ago to discover my purpose in life. So many people spend their entire life on a conveyor belt; they go to work every day to a job that they don’t love just to pay the bills and repeat the same cycle for most of their lives. Most people only aspire to get married, have kids and to obtain a decent paying career. That’s what I thought my purpose in life was supposed to be but as I get older I realize that life is so much bigger than the physical possessions that we acquire while on earth. I’m not downing anyone who values those things but I believe life is so much bigger than that. Life is about how you impact other people and what you will leave behind to make society a better place after you’re gone.
I saw the movie “Hidden Figures” the weekend that it was released and I thought it was such an inspiring movie! Seeing the impact that black women had at NASA was so motivational. It made me feel like I could accomplish anything and it also made me more eager to continue pursuing my passion for writing. To be honest I never considered myself to be great at anything. I always felt mediocre and I never felt like I left much of an impression on people.
Since starting my blog two years ago so many great opportunities have become available for me. Ultimately my career goal is to be a paid full time writer but I do realize that dream may not come into fruition. People have shared with me how some of my articles have inspired them or touched them in a personal way and that has meant so much to me. My writing is something that will outlive me and regardless if I become rich or famous, the impact that I have made on other people with my words will matter the most.
Barack Obama will be remembered in history as the first African American president, and Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson will be remembered as the brilliant, black women that helped NASA accomplish one of the greatest space operations in U.S. history. These amazing accomplishments will forever be a part of the legacy that they will leave behind. It took me a couple of years but I finally realize that writing is my purpose in life and I know it will be a part of the legacy that I will leave behind.
Are you pursuing your purpose in life? What do you think your legacy will be after you’re gone?
