Leave Your Legacy While You are Still on Earth

Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited

August is Leave your Legacy month –  traditionally leaving a legacy has a connotation of death. what will you leave behind after you die – the Your life unlimited challenge this week is to think about the legacy you can leave while you are still breathing – doesn’t that sound like more fun?

Influence a child – whether it’s your biological child or not doesn’t matter, volunteer, spend time with a niece or nephew, think about how you can positively influence a child in your life – you have something special that no one else can give them.

Use you talents – create a body of work – with words, your voice, your art, we all have a talent and this one could influence people for  decades.

Pick a cause – a government, a religion, an association or an institution that you can whole-heartedly support – use your brilliant mind to effect positive change for a cause greater than yourself.

This week’s YLU challenge – plan how you are going to leave your legacy while you are still on earth.

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On this week’s Your Life, Unlimited radio show, I chatted with Dr. Ryan  Greschuk  a young, go-getter with a contagious zest for life. He was also my guest recently on the  radio show. As a is a chiropractor and wellness coach at Maples Chiropractic in Winnipeg, Mb. he helps people live life well. You  can listen to the whole show here…Your Life, Unlimited with Stephanie Staples, Ryan Greschuk.

Ryan’s guest post was inspired by the book Blue Zones – by Dan Buettner. Enjoy!

Blue Zones: Unlocking the Habits of the Longest Lived People

We all want to be healthy our whole lives. Sadly, most of us aren’t. Life expectancy here in Canada is 78-82 years, but our health expectancy is only 69 years, meaning we can expect to spend on average 10 years of our life sick, on medication from a chronic illness. However, there are areas of the world where this isn’t the case. The “Blue Zones” are areas where people regularly live into their 90’s and 100’s independent, in their own home, free of chronic, lifestyle-related disease like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Places like Sardinia, Okinawa, or among the Seventh Day Adventists in Southern California. So just what do these people do that allow them such vitality, such longevity, and not only longer more years in their life, but more life in those years. Here are some common traits found in each of the blue zones:

1) Primarily plant based diet – The healthiest cultures primarily eat plants and legumes. Meat is a rare treat that is eaten in small portions 3-4 times a month. You want to know how healthy you are? Take a look at your plate. It should be 90% vegetables.

2) Sense of purpose and a sense of belonging – The Okinawans have a concept called their “ikigai, which translates into “The reason for which you wake up in the morning.” They lived with a sense of purpose that fueled them to wake up each morning, and each centenarian studied could immediately name what kept them excited about waking up each morning.

They also have a concept called a “moai,” which is a group of about a half dozen close friends to help you through each stage of your life. Currently, the average American has about 1.5 close friends, but only 15 years ago, that number was doubled. It’s much harder to go through life’s transitions, births, deaths, job losses, etc without a close group of people around you to celebrate, grieve with. Imagine the closeness and security knowing you have 5 or 6 close friends who have had your back for 70, 80, 90 years.

3) Regular physical activity – The Seventh Day Adventists structure their week around the Sabbath, where every week, families get together and spend time outside going on nature walks. The Sardinians are herdsmen, walking 10+ miles a day. Maybe 10 miles a day isn’t realistic for you, but what can you do on a regular basis to keep you and your family more active?

Why is this important? Imagine if your family could be telling stories about you like the 97 year old man in California who built his own privacy fence and then 3 days later was in the operating room performing open heart surgery. Or the 102 year old woman in Okinawa that gets to hold and know her great great great granddaughter. You love your family; what if you could have 5, 10, 15, 20 more healthy years to be there for your family, to enjoy everything you work so hard for, and to be able to know and love your legacy.

That’s our birthright, what we were designed for genetically. Too many of us accept less from our health. First, we make our habits, and then over time, our habits make us. Follow the winners, carefully design your life and your lifestyle around what you want, and strive to create your own “blue zone,” for you and your family. I’d encourage you to take time this week, even with a busy schedule, and decide what you want for your family. Then, write down what daily habits will give you the best chance of getting it, talk with your family, and refer to it regularly. You’ll be glad you did.

For more articles, recipes, and exercises to keep yourself and your family healthy, follow him on his Facebook page “Dr. Ryan Greschuk, DC.”

Again, you  can listen to the whole show here…Your Life, Unlimited with Stephanie Staples, Cornelius Buller and Ryan Greschuk

Stephanie Staples, CSP* is the author of When Enlightening Strikes – Creating a Mindset for Uncommon Success and an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker. She empowers audiences & clients across North America to bring their ‘A’ game to work and to life. Stephanie has a special interest in working with and empowering nurses and healthcare providers. She happily calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada home. You can get loads of complimentary resources to help with issues such as work/life balance, wellness, stress management and happiness in general, as well as find out more information about her coaching and speaking services at http://www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca.

* Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), conferred by the National Speakers Association is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform proficiency. Less than 10 percent of speakers have earned this credential and are recognized as some of the best in their fields. Stephanie was one of only five professional speakers in Canada (and the only woman) to attain this designation in 2013.

The post Leave Your Legacy While You are Still on Earth first appeared on Your Life Unlimited.

Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited