All we hear in the news and on social media sites is how many individuals want a “Legacy” to be praised and remembered for in their lives.

Well, I hate to disappoint such legacy seekers, but in time, they will be forgotten and erased from existing on Earth. It’s everyone’s fate.

Oh, there are great icons in many fields, the likes of George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Jesse Owens, Rosa Parks, and Thomas Edison, who are revered and written about in our history books or found on the internet. But they, too, will all pass.

I am told the world is 4.5 billion years old. During that time, I am sure many civilizations have come and gone, along with their great leaders. Their legacies are gone as well.

But there is hope. I say a person should strive for a legacy that is devoted to others and not for his or her self-gratification. This writer refers to it as “The Selfless Legacy.” The following are its tenets:

THE SELFLESS

LEGACY TENETS

∫ Help others and just causes without receiving public recognition.

∫ Love those who completely disagree with your beliefs in life.

∫ Refrain from judging those who are different.

∫ Pray for people faced with the many troubles of living.

∫ Be honest in all your affairs.

∫ Show kindness to those you don’t know with a friendly gesture.

∫ Consider the feelings of others.

∫ Possess a patient demeanor.

∫ Be willing to sacrifice your life for the well-being of others.

∫ Know that you are human and learn from your mistakes.

∫ Pray often for forgiveness and for all your blessings in life.

∫ Always forgive others, and yourself.

∫ Cherish true friendship. It’s a rarity.

∫ Know you are not alone in difficult times. The Helper is always with you.

∫ Aspire to be a good example for others.

∫ Teach your children to pray.

∫ Honor your spouse.

∫ Praise God and Jesus for their unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness.

The Selfless legacy is eternal. Its tenets emphasize ideals regarding the spiritual love for others, and not oneself.

The Scriptures actually refer to the matter of human values that lead to everlasting legacies. In Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 1 to 4, Jesus taught his followers:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

The Selfless Legacy Tenets are witnessed by God alone, not by man. And, my friends, such tenets are omnipresent wherever intelligent life exists in the Creator’s vast and marvelous universe.

Dr. William A. Welker received his BS and MEd degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He earned a Doctor of Education degree in reading education from West Virginia University. Welker taught for 40 years as a K-12 classroom educator. To receive a complimentary copy of The Selfless Legacy Tenets, you can contact Welker at mattalkwv@hotmail.com and he will send it to you.