__//|| Legacy (with Mentoring) Newsletter 40

DRAFT Insert for an upcoming book about Living Legacy Life. This article would appear at the end of the book OR at the start, depending on how I craft the book - ah, the decisions ahead.

Still enjoy it as is!

Many adults in their 60s and 70s sense a shift in their priorities. They want life to be more than giving back. They want to gift forward!?

They sense the need to do something meaningful, to share knowledge and experiences that might help others.?

They ask themselves, “How do I shape my life so my actions today echo beyond my lifetime?” This is where the idea of living legacy life comes in. It means deciding to live from the legacy you intend to leave.

Moving In

Yet, if you are new to legacy thinking, it can be confusing.?

You might wonder how to begin or what to consider first.

You might not know which goals//outcomes fit you best.

You are aware there is something more you want to do, AND you are not sure how to start.?

That is where three questions—So What? What Else? Now What?—can help.?

These questions guide you to pause, think about your life, and decide how you want to act from this point forward.?

This article walks you through these questions so you can see how they fit into a beginner-friendly approach to living legacy life.

The Beginner’s Legacy Path Way

Before we explore the three questions, it helps to understand what we mean by “legacy path way” for beginners. If you are new to legacy ideas, you might assume legacy is about estate planning or documenting achievements by self/accomplishments with others. While they can frame legacy, living legacy life goes deeper.?

It is about someone in their 60s or 70s (before or beyond) who realizes there is more to "be have do", more to share. Consider - from your perspective (whatever decade you were born) - living legacy life is about:

Shaping how you spend your time, so your daily actions support the legacy you want to leave.

Sharing knowledge, skills, and resources that might help others in simple but significant ways.

Useful Insert: Legacy contributions, stories, and projects occur along the interactions of three continuums*?

• General – Specific
• Accurate – Appropriate
• Simple – Complicated?

It can be the small, ongoing contributions that leave an impact on people around you.?

Specific – Appropriate – Simple___ Maybe you write personal stories to pass on lessons learned.

General – Accurate – Complicated___ Maybe you volunteer at a local community group.?

Specific - Accurate - Complicated___ Maybe you call a neighbor who lives alone, offering a kind word each week.?

*TU to Dr. Karl Weick re sense making and GAS model - with my edit!

All these acts form part of your legacy. If you are just starting out, the best approach is to step back, reflect, and ease into the process.

3 BOLD Questions

That is why the three questions—So What? What Else? Now What?—are so helpful (and useful). They nudge you to reflect, and take (incremental) action.

So What: Why Legacy Matters

The first question, So What?, prompts you to identify why any of this matters. You have reached a certain age, life is shifting, and you sense you want to do something more. Why does it matter to you? Why now? Why does living from the legacy you intend to leave have meaning?

When you ask, “So what?” you look at your current situation and experiences in a critical AND supportive way. You might notice:

Your priorities have shifted, adjusted, corrected. You value health, relationships, and growth more than in previous decades.

You want your life to echo in the future, leaving "seeds-stories, contributions" that might grow in the minds or hearts of others.

You see gaps in your community, family, or society that you can help fill with your knowledge or skills.

By asking “So what?” about your new awareness, you recognize that your life experiences have value. People often skip this step and try to jump straight into creating legacy projects.

However, if you do not know why you care, or why your experiences might matter, it is easy to give up or lose focus. So, So What? is about seeing your inspirations (interests) clearly.

Practical Ways to Explore “So What?”

Jot down a list of five life lessons you are proud to have learned.

Ask yourself why each lesson might matter to someone else.

Discuss these lessons with a friend or family member and see if they agree.

If after this step you realize you want to guide others or share something meaningful, you have the beginnings of your “So what?” answer. You are shaping a reason to move on to the next stage.

What Else?: Expanding Your Possibilities

When you find your reason—your “So what?”—the next question is, What else? This phase lets you explore all the ways you can act on your desire to live a legacy life. It is about broadening your view and blueskying//brainstorming.

Many older adults assume there are only a few standard ways to share their legacy (like writing a memoir or doing volunteer work). What else? encourages you to expand and extend your thinking//feeling, and also think small:

Time with Family: Maybe you can arrange a monthly gathering to share stories or skills, or record family recipes.

Community Projects: If you like gardening, could you start a community vegetable plot? If you enjoy reading, maybe a reading circle at the library?

Skills Mentorship: Mentor younger professionals who share your career background, or hold informal sessions on a skill you have (cooking, woodworking, etc.).

Nature Advocacy: If you love the environment, you could help restore a local park or advocate for wildlife protection.

Personal Mastery: You might also realize you want to refine your own well-being, like practicing mindful movement or journaling, and share that insight with others.

As you ask What else?, keep in mind that living legacy life does not require a radical shift. It might mean trying new ways to share or build on what you already do.

For instance, if you have always loved playing the piano, perhaps you can teach a few basics to a neighbor’s child. If you enjoy photography, you could create a small online gallery with captions that explain what the photos mean to you. The possibilities are endless once you let your mind consider “what else” is out there.

Herein the adage: You Educate What You Love to Learn!

Practical Ways to Explore “What Else?”

Make a “BlueSky (with a few cluds) Board” listing all the creative ideas that come to mind, no matter how simple or grand.

Reflect on your personal interests or hobbies you have never pursued fully. Can they become part of your legacy story?

Look for local or virtual communities that align with your passions and see if you can contribute.

Now What?: Moving from Ideas to Action

Once you have explored your inspirations and the avenues, you reach the stage of Now What? This is where you plan and act. Without action, even the best ideas remain dreams.

Why is “Now What?” crucial for beginners? Because many older adults get stuck between ideas and follow-through. They might feel insecure about their abilities or worry about the time needed.

“Now What?” pushes you to pick one small step to take soon—today, tomorrow, or this week. More so, to take the second step because that is commitment and the third step that is courage!

To do this, choose a single action from your list of options from “What else?” and plan how to begin. The trick is to start small.

You do not have to write a 200-page memoir in one sitting. Instead, write one page or record a five-minute audio story for your family. You do not need to fix all social issues in your community. Instead, volunteer one day a week or join a local group meeting.

Practical Ways to Explore “Now What?”

Pick one idea from your “What Else?” list that excites you most.

Define a first step you can take in 24 hours (e.g., send an email, schedule a meeting).

Set a simple timeline for yourself, like “I will do this action by next Wednesday.”

Plan how you will celebrate or note your progress.

The Links Among So What, What Else, and Now What in Legacy Life

If you are new to legacy life decisions, these three questions form a cycle that can repeat whenever you reach a new level of understanding or face a new challenge:

So What? helps you clarify why you care and why it matters right now.

What Else? expands your view, letting you see a range of possibilities for living your legacy.

Now What? grounds your vision in reality, asking you to commit to practical steps.

Use this cycle repeatedly. For example, after you complete one action (like drafting a short memoir chapter), you might reflect again: “So what? Did that go well or not? What else can I learn or do? Now what is my next step?”

__//|| Over time, you refine your process and deepen your legacy contributions.

Moving Forward

AND, you are here! You have new ways to think about legacy:

So What?

What Else?

Now What?

If you sense a desire for “something more” in your 60s or 70s, consider these questions. They give you permission to pause and reflect, also to act.

Living from the legacy you intend to leave makes daily life more purposeful and relevant. You see each day as a chance to add a layer to your story, help someone else, or learn a new skill.

It also helps you stay connected to the bigger picture, that “something more required” sense. When you realize you are part of a vast human-scape —“being for the world,” “being with the planet,” and “being from the whole”—your daily actions become more meaningful. Even mundane moments can carry deeper significance if they tie back to your decided legacy path.

BONUS

Your Next Steps

Begin with a quiet moment. Ask yourself, “What do I want people to remember about me? What do I want them to carry forward from my life?” Let the answer lead you to the first question, So What? Then follow with What Else? to explore possibilities. Finally, use Now What? to chart a quick, doable plan.

You do not have to be alone in this. Talk to someone who shares your interests, maybe another older adult also exploring these questions. Share your ideas. If you are comfortable online, join a group interested in personal development or legacy building. Collaborative thinking can spark new insights you never considered.

Remember, it is all about your unique path. One older adult might find joy in documenting family tree stories, while another might focus on local environmental cleanup. Yet another might create a personal blog to offer life lessons to a global audience. The point is to align your being, having, and doing so that each day you are living from the legacy you intend to leave.

Pause, Reflect, and Act

The three questions—So What? What Else? Now What?—are AWEinspiring and TREEmendous. They help you pause and reflect on how your life now connects to the legacy you want to share.

If you are a beginner, this is a straightforward, practical way to get started. You do not need fancy tools or big plans. You just need the willingness to reflect and act. [see previous Newsletters about SLDAO and CAMSS]

The result is a more meaningful 60s and 70s, and a clearer sense of how you can be for the world, with the planet, and from the whole.

Take a moment after reading whatever your age. Close your eyes, think about your day.?

Ask yourself,?

“So what am I doing that matters to my legacy right now?”

“What else can I do with my skills or experiences?”?

“Now what small action can I take to begin?”?

By answering these questions, you embark on your personal, living legacy journey and adventures together with others—stride by stride, day by day.

Meet Dr. Stephen Hobbs

Your Guide on the Ride! __ Your Navigator through the Gates!

Invest in Youngers-Olders-Elders Aging Confidently Through Legacy Contributions

I'm an ager, more so, I walk as a "Solo-Ager".

As to Older to Elder, I'm exploring what it means for me.

Over the years, across many continents, I gathered evidence-based wisdom. Now, I revamp my "wellth of experiences" into tools and techniques to encourage olders-elders (especially those soloaging) to live a hale and hearty life without stumbling along, stubbing their toes, and wasting time, effort, and money.

I help them shape and share legacy contributions that loverage meaningful effects with clarity and confidence, seasoned with commitment and courage! [For all involved!]

Working through https://WELLthMovement.com

Inviting your involvement so I can learn from you?

and we can be FOR the World … WITH the Planet … FROM the Whole.

In my Profile Header, is the booking link for a 29 minute Conversation. Let's make it so, so IT is!

__ Images created via AI! Based on my prompts!