Show up (Community, part 2)
Building a legacy of community care; decide what matters to you and lean in.
This is the second of a multi-post series on living life in community. If you missed it, read the first post here.
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How are you?
It’s been a full week with a lot of Big Feelings.
You may be feeling any number of things in response to Tuesday’s election—frustration, relief, rage, ambivalence, helplessness, uncertainty.
In our binary political system, the presidential election could have gone one of two ways. And the reality is that either way, about half of the country would have been upset with the result. And that sucks a lot! It is really frustrating that all the outcomes required a large swath of people to lose. Where is the secret third option where everyone wins?
I don’t know how to fix our political system or bring our country together, but I’m pretty sure community is at least part of the answer.
At a time when you may be feeling insignificant or like you can’t make a difference, I want to remind you that the way we show up in our families and communities matters.
I used to care deeply about leaving a legacy— making a mark on the world that others would find impressive. I had a narrow vision of some enormous, national, newsworthy impact; something big and flashy was all that mattered; that’s what I was living for.
But as I’ve gotten older, I realized that I don’t want to live my life based on what other people might care about, especially not hypothetical people in the future who may or may not remember me. I want to live for the people I know and love and the communities and causes I value. Obviously? 🤦🏼♀️
"How do you want to be remembered when you’re gone?" is a different way of asking, "Who are you? "How are you sharing that with the world? "
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
― Howard Thurman
While she was alive, I knew the broad strokes of my grandmother’s simple life. She was an airline stewardess until she married my grandfather, a traveling salesman. They moved all around the Southeast before settling in Virginia, where she became a 4th grade teacher. They lived what I thought to be a typical little life with their three children. I remember volunteering with her at the Red Cross and riding along on her Meals on Wheels deliveries, but honestly, I thought she was pretty boring. I loved her, sure! But not because I thought her life was fascinating or impressive; I was her favorite grandchild, and she sliced bananas perfectly and always had frozen grapes.
But in the days and weeks following her death in 2013, my understanding of her simple little life expanded. Her dedication to many local causes was more meaningful than I imagined. I heard about dinners she cooked for my mom's friends when they were young, exotic trips she took around the country and abroad, lessons she taught in the classroom, people she visited in unexpected places, and crafts she did with neighborhood children.
She never made national headlines. But because she profoundly touched so many people's lives in simple, consistent ways, she made a difference in the world.
My grandmother was a mother, teacher, community volunteer, wife, and grandparent. And she obviously let the world see that. She cared about her community and leaned in.
So, who are you? What do you care about?
We get to decide what matters to us instead of letting the world tell us what should matter.
Decide what matters to you, and then lean in. Show up for yourself, your family, and your community in the ways that matter most to you. Be vulnerable and let the world see what makes you come alive.
We are all unique. Within a community, we have distinct gifts and strengths, which is why each of us is essential to the collective. When we show up in the world as our whole selves, we make a difference to the group.
As we show up for what matters for the people that matter, we’re building a legacy of community care that can change the world in waves.
Making a difference doesn't have to mean moving mountains with one push. Making a difference can mean doing something wonderfully small within your community. When we continuously show up for ourselves, our families, and our communities, over time, mountains will move.
Community is essential, and how we participate matters — decide what matters to you and then show up.
Do you want support as you discern what matters and how to show up for your community? I'm opening 1:1 coaching in 2025 and would love to work with you! Be the first to know when I launch.
Hi, I’m Liz! Thanks for being here and reading my journals on the journey. If you’re new, learn a bit more about me and this space here and here, and consider subscribing to my weeklyish posts.
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