I had the honor to meet John Rhys-Davies during the 2016 Denver ComicCon. There was one question I had the pleasure to ask him in a panel session.
Knowing the characters he played through his illustrious career in voice acting and screenplay, I wanted to see if they were tied to a deeper motivation.
“Given how you play characters with wisdom and wit, what legacy do you hope to leave behind?”
He spoke about various things – from the science community to the education of our children, then he ended with something very specific and attainable.
Being a good parent is a legacy in itself, and is a greater legacy than an actor, a director, an all-star athlete, or anyone else can provide.
When all is done, what matters is sincerely helping others to succeed in becoming more than they believe they are. That is our legacy. Click To TweetWhen we mentor others in a way that helps them to grow and mature, and when our work is about the mentee (not about our success as a mentor or a parent – not about what we get out of the relationship) then we build a legacy.
It takes incredible energy and restraint to continue injecting hope, encouragement and support without diving in and doing the work for them. But the end result is setting a value, a principle, and a character that improves the world by their accomplishments – not yours.
How we teach is just as important. People are great imitators. That means people learn by watching others. If you say you have one value, but your actions betray that value, you are conveying two things: that the value isn’t really all that important and that a greater value is deceit or deception. So be sincere for the sake of others, if not for the sake of your own integrity.
When all is done, what matters is sincerely helping others to succeed in becoming more than they believe they are. That is our legacy.