Kay:
Hey there, Questers, and welcome! It’s Monday, August 31st – (last day of the month!) – and this is Episode 171. We have an awesome quote for you, today, from the one and only Dolly Parton.
Shi:
She says, “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”
Kay:
Now we are getting this from the one and only – the queen of country – Dolly Parton. I mean, Jolene, Working 9 to 5…Dolly basically invented Miley Cyrus…She’s just amazing.
Shi:
She’s a record producer, an author, a businesswoman, a multi-instrumentalist, and a humanitarian. She’s had one of the biggest impacts on reading in young children, and her program, Free Books is renowned worldwide and has had a massive impact. She’s incredible and she’s adorable!
Kay:
So adorable!
Shi:
Oh, gosh.
Kay:
And, it seems like her authentic character really radiates off of her, and her legacy radiates into, I think, every corner of what she does…it just vibrates with quality and authenticity. And, she’s really kind of that person who still has the beauty factor, and still has the that flouncy factor, and the fun factor, and that, “I’m going to wear my makeup crazy because that’s who I am,” factor – but, at the same time, she is also a business lady who’s leaving her mark on the world!
Shi:
Well, as she ages, she stays beautiful – as you were just mentioning – and that’s that real testament to being beautiful on the inside and seeing that shine through. And, in this quote here, we see her make this connection between legacy and leadership, which a lot of people make and talk about. Even our mentor, John Maxwell, who – we are actually on our third day of the International Maxwell Certification with him right now – makes this connection. So, we’re technically LIVE, with 5,000 people, giving a training right now!
Kay:
Actually, the moment that this podcast gets dropped is I think the time of our speech!
Shi:
Be shooting us good vibes! But, John talks about giving legs to your legacy, and creating a legacy, and searching for something more than success. He calls it “significance,” others might call it fulfillment or purpose, but they all refer to this finding something that you add value to, and that you build, that’s bigger than yourself, and that lives on after you’re gone.
Kay:
What I love about Dolly’s quote here is that she says, “If your actions create a legacy.” So, she’s not saying the legacy you leave inspires others to dream more, and she’s not just saying “legacy” in general…she’s saying, “If your actions create a legacy,” meaning that legacy is an intentional thing, and not everyone in the millennial generation is thinking about legacy yet, but we’ve got a broad range of people who make up our listenership. And so, maybe you are over the age of 50 and you’re steeped inside legacy talk, but many of us missed that opportunity early on in our lives to really be thinking about what is the mark we want to leave on the world. And, not just leave on the world to be impressive while we’re alive, but to make an impression on those that come after us…
Shi:
I think an interesting perspective to see here is the one we get if we flip this, right? If your actions create a legacy that hurts others, or that minimizes their dreams, or that takes away from people, or victimizes others, or takes out of the world, then you’re certainly not an excellent leader. You might be remembered for other things – for villainous reasons or vial reasons – or leave a legacy that you’re not proud of, or a legacy that dies out quickly, or that is something that doesn’t add to the world…but you’re not a leader. So, your actions can create a legacy in an opposite direction and – (bringing in that level of intentionality, as Kay just mentioned) – is where we can get to that excellent leader. And so, to bring it back to the quote, Dolly says, “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you’re an excellent leader.” So, really coming back to this, it’s about inspiring for growth, reaching for progress, hoping to do more and to do something that has impact.
Kay:
And, I think a lot of people think about legacy and they want to inspire others to dream more, learn more, and do more, and so many of them go out and they pick up a microphone and they say, “This is my way to inspire others,” but it’s through those actions that create that legacy. It’s about being a practitioner of inspiration, someone who is a constant learner and someone who constantly does the things to become more. So, just a reminder, Dolly Parton says, “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”
Shi:
All right, that means it’s time for your quest, and today’s is an inspiration quest! So, today we want you to find one way to add value or inspire just one other person today…Find one way that you can help spark a little inspiration in another, and add to that legacy of yours! Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s Quest!
