From legacy to stewardship, navigating the present and creating a better future.

As a nearly 40-year-old man, I've been through my fair share of ups and downs in life. I've had success at a young age, including a multi-million dollar business exit, but it was only when I went through a divorce that I truly experienced adversity. It's been a challenging but ultimately enlightening journey, I was reflecting last night with my wife Sarah Pirie-Nally as we cleaned the kitchen together and talked about the fair play we have navigated in the quest for a more equal home: I am a different person in chapter 2 and I want to share some of my insights with you.

Recently, I read an article on the concept of stewardship vs. legacy, and it really struck a chord with me. The article argues that rather than just focusing on leaving a legacy, which can be self-centred and ego-driven, we should think about being good stewards of the things we've been entrusted with - whether that's our relationships, our children, our work, or the planet we call home.

For me, this shift in perspective has been particularly powerful. When I was younger and more focused on achieving success, I was always thinking about what kind of legacy I wanted to leave behind without a guiding north star. But as I've grown older and gone through more experiences, I've come to realize that true fulfillment comes not from what I leave behind, but from what I do with the opportunities I've been given in the present.

One thing that's helped me with this shift is taking the time to reflect on my past achievements. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day struggles and forget how far we've come. But when I take a step back and look at what I've accomplished, I'm reminded of my capabilities and my potential to do even greater things. This helps me approach my present and future endeavors with more confidence and a sense of purpose.

Steward leadership is “a form of leadership that focuses on others, the community and society at large rather than the self.”

Of course, embracing stewardship over legacy isn't always easy. It requires us to think beyond ourselves and our own ambitions and to consider the impact we're having on the world around us. It's a humbling but ultimately rewarding way of approaching life, and I believe it's something we should all strive for.

"No one remembers who climbed Mount Everest the second time." - Sir Edmund Hilary

I encourage you to think about how you can be good stewards of the things you've been entrusted with. Whether that's taking care of your relationships, putting in the effort at work to make a positive impact, or doing your part to protect the environment, we all have a role to play. And by embracing stewardship, we can not only live more fulfilling lives, but also leave a positive legacy for future generations.

I like to look to legends of the past for inspiration, some people that inspire me are the great explorers from Australia and New Zealand, Sir Edmund Percival Hillary KG ONZ KBE was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

"While it might not be possible for man, with his limitations, to control the weather, it might be possible to learn something of its laws and movements." - Sir Hubert Wilkins

Sir George Hubert Wilkins?made the first transpolar flight across the Arctic in an airplane, as well as the first airplane flight over a portion of Antarctica, both occurring in 1928.

I'm often in a push/pull feeling of doing too much or not doing enough, this plagues me daily as I try to ensure I am showing up, being fair, sharing the load at home, caring for the kids or helping my parents and ensuring they are having a good time, Sir Edmund Hilary and Sir Hubart Wilkins were able to achieve great things, they went wandering and have inspired many others to do the same.

So instead of just thinking about a north star to orient in business and in life, perhaps we need to think about the north and south poles, The Arctic is the North Pole, and the South Pole is in Antarctica. The poles are on the top of the Earth, and on the bottom of the Earth, respectively. Often times, the poles are often referred to as being positive or negative. Generally, the south pole is?termed positive, and the north negative.

Instead of thinking of a north star, perhaps to truly be stewards we need to be focussing on north and south poles, the positive and negative charges and polarity of the planet. You can't ignore place while navigating and just relying on a north star vision won't work either. Don't get me wrong, as a pilot I believe that looking to the skies can be an important aspect of navigation, Pilots can even find out their position by looking at the stars, up until not that long ago,?“shooting the stars,” otherwise known as Celestial Navigation, was an accepted method of navigation.?

To navigate with purpose, presence and impact you can't just shoot the stars, you have to navigate the poles and be conscious of all aspects of your environment, it is all about relationships: relationships with self, relationships with others, relationships with place, relationships with time.

As we navigate through life, it's important to shift our focus from leaving a legacy to being good stewards of the things we've been entrusted with. This shift in perspective can lead to a more fulfilling life and a positive impact on the world around us. The great pilots and steward leaders have in common the ability to navigate with purpose, presence, and impact, by being conscious of all aspects of their environment and relationships with self, others, place, and time. As we strive to be good stewards, we can draw inspiration from legends of the past like Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Hubert Wilkins, who achieved great things by wandering and exploring. Let us embrace stewardship and leave a positive legacy for future generations.