Change the legacy!

These were the words of a complete stranger… An energetic and clearly very wise young lady who is the new Accounts Manager for a supplier I work with. I must be honest it took me by surprise and made me think for hours afterwards… ”

Yes, let’s meet… Let’s change the legacy!” she said.

In a world besotted with tech and digital conversations this telephone conversation made me sit up straight. Not sure if this was due to her conviction, enthusiasm or just the ease with which she made reference to “change the legacy” in such a simple and effortless way; when in reality the essence of “changing a legacy” can be perceived as a rather mammoth and complicated task.

But does it have to be a complicated affair? According to Mischa Estrada an author on Seattle Yoga News, old patterns are difficult to break, we tend to engage them and attach ourselves to them. The key is to detach and disengage certain pathways, change these patterns. This requires a shift, mentally, emotionally, physically and sometimes spiritually.

In a recent article about business trends published by BizCommunity, they highlighted the “shift from the experience economy to the transformation economy”. Consumers are seeking more than a mere experience they crave authenticity and meaningful ways to connect on a more personal level. In doing so they actually “undergo an actual sense of transformation.”

The concept of transformation can be applied to every aspect of our lives. Personally, I have attached myself to the concept of a glass half empty and in a way it has become part of my personal legacy. In business, I have attached myself to certain legacies inherited from previous regimes and cultures.

In 2017 I will stoke the fire of change, authenticity and transformation.

Thomas, the gardener at work said to me in passing yesterday “Ma’am we must thank God that we are alive in this New Year…” So whether or not you believe in God, this sentence is profound.

I would like to echo the words of my supplier’s new Accounts Manager “Let’s change the legacy”. Keep it simple, say it, pay it forward, believe we can, just do it… One small step at a time.

Let us be as enthusiastic and energetic about it as she is. Will I meet with her? ABSOLUTELY!

Let’s transform, let’s change the legacy!

Here is to a glass half full!

Originally published at bernicehouston.co.za on January 15, 2017.