Leaving Footprints

(Story adapted from a talk given by Stef Duplessis)

There was a lost traveler who came across the footprints of a mule. The traveler was lost, so he figured that he’d follow the footprints; guessing that the mule knew where it was going. When the traveler looked closer he noticed that there was a drag mark on the right footprint and that there was a trail of grain that followed the prints. On the horizon he saw a village and a commotion in the village market. Making his way nearer, he came across an old man pleading for help. “My mule is lost, my mule is lost” the old man cried. “It has with it my only food, it is my only livestock, has anyone seen my mule?” No one in the market helped the old man and the crowd soon dispersed. The traveler asked “Old man tell me, this mule of yours does it have a lame leg? Does this mule of yours have grain on its back, one bag with a small hole in it?” “Yes, yes, yes!” replied the old man, “This is my mule! Where did you see it?” “I’m sorry” said the traveler. “I never saw your mule, but I can tell you where it’s been.”

Reflection

This is the same with our lives. We leave behind a track, a silent trail telling people, who and what we are, where we have been and how we have contributed to the world. A serious question you need to ask yourself is what footprints are you leaving behind? Are you leaving behind prints of contribution or greed, kindness or animosity? I know each and every one of us want to leave behind footprints of value, honour and achievement, yet we tend to forget that everything we do in our lives is recorded and when we look back and reflect, we always wished we did more or made better choices. Every day that passes is another day added to your legacy; accidental or not, you are always creating a legacy. Every moment that passes is an opportunity to do something great in your life, and when I say great I don’t mean cure hunger in Africa or find the answer to world peace, it can be as small as making tea for a colleague or letting the car go in front of you, because these small acts of greatness create small footprints which show the world who you are. Greatness isn’t something out of reach. You become great by the type of person you are, and what you accomplish during your time here. You have the power to consciously choose to influence and shape the future and to leave behind footprints of dignity, grandeur and respectability. Make sure that your footprints are seen for what you want to be remembered for.

May you have an awesome week, where the footprints you leave behind are one’s worth following, a path with no regrets.

Darren Zwiers

“No legacy is so rich as honesty”

― William Shakespeare.