This post is about your legacy . . .

Last month,

I took a few days to be by myself

at an inn in Northern California.

I went for many long walks

and on one, chanced upon this

stunning row of cypress trees.

It’s difficult to read scale in the photo,

but the trees are well over 100 feet high.

Their massive presence calmed my mind,

and I walked that dirt path

gazing upwards in awe.

Though the history on who actually

planted this grove is unclear,

what struck me is that

whoever actually did it

never got to witness the trees’ full majesty,

nor know how many people

they would inspire.

And this is what it means

to leave a legacy.

In life, we each plant “seeds”

whose reach and influence

we may never live to see.

Our actions don’t even need to be

large in size or scope.

A single phrase you utter

or a small act of courage

can lead to a sequence of outcomes

far more extensive than

you may ever know.

They are the seeds

of the cypress trees that live on

long after you are gone.

So Risk Forward & Plant On,

P.S. You can watch a 27-second video I made showing how the cypress trees lead right to the ocean’s bluff above. (To listen to the wind & waves, make sure your volume is up.)

P.P.S. The pages in my book on “Your Hidden Legacy” (which express a similar theme in a highly visual format) have become one of people’s favorite parts of Risk Forward.

And in case you’re curious, the cypress grove is part of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at Moss Beach, about 30 min. from San Francisco. You can look it up online.