Building a Legacy

The Hidden Cost of Chasing Approval Over Building Social Equity The answer often lies in where we focus our energy: Are we seeking approval, or are we cultivating authentic social equity?

So, how does the idea of legacy actually show up in our daily lives? One word: social capital. Whether we admit it or not, we all care about what others think of us. It’s not vanity—it’s hardwired. Social capital is the currency of human connection. It’s how people think and talk about us, both when we’re present and when we’re not. And it matters.

When you hear the word legacy, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many of us, it’s the big names in history—Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Georgia O’Keeffe, Toni Morrison. You probably have your own list of influential people, even if it looks different from mine. We tend to associate leaving a legacy with public figures or people we admire, but here’s the truth: legacy isn’t reserved for the famous