Leaving a Legacy
Embracing Your Freedom, Finding Your Purpose, and Shaping the World
Diana Stobo is a visionary - an innovator, a leader, a creator of businesses for people to transform and unearth their full potential. She is the owner of The Retreat Costa Rica, a best-selling author, a raw food chef… the list goes on.
And yet, it wasn’t until she spoke with Frances Kiradjian, the founder and CEO of BLLA, that realization struck: she was setting herself up for a legacy.
Indeed, it was her session “Leaving a Powerful Legacy” at the 2021 Women in Travel and Hospitality Conference that prompted Diana to recognize the lasting impact she was making on others through her heartfelt endeavors.
As Frances communicated, “Whether you are 17 or 70, it is never too early or too late to think about your legacy.”
If we take a moment and think about it, the word “legacy” could hold innumerable meanings. From writing your memoir to volunteering in your community to passing down your family heirloom, your version of a legacy may be far different from someone else’s.
So, what does it mean to leave a powerful legacy? What steps can you take in the present to ensure that your legacy is truly left behind?
The first step is to embrace your freedom.
In this context, freedom is the opportunity to adopt a positive, can-do mentality that translates to your everyday life.
While this may seem simple in writing, there could be some limitations to fully accepting this freedom.
According to Diana, “We are taught such a limited belief system that we do not realize that there is so much more. We boggle ourselves into why we cannot do it… I think the freedom lies in the fact that we can do whatever we want.”
In order to encompass this gift of freedom, we must look beyond the limiting beliefs that restrict us from unlocking the best versions of ourselves. It is these irrational thoughts and convictions that generate self-fulfilling prophecies that are far from desirable.
We must remember that the brain is a powerful entity. We possess the ability to shape our own interpretation of reality.
In conversation with Frances, Diana reflected on how she used to run wellness programs that offered a safe space for people to share their stories. The biggest takeaway for the participants was that they were limitless, they were in control of their bodies, and most importantly, they were in control of their minds.
It is this positivity and openmindedness that lays the foundation for the second step in leaving a legacy, which is to find your purpose.
We are all unique in who we are and how we operate, and with that, we all have a purpose that is uniquely ours.
For Diana, her purpose is to heal people through the pairing of food with the unbounded spirit of love. Since discovering your life purpose may seem like a daunting task, Diana recommended that you consider who you are “at the nucleus of your being.”
What energizes you? Who is important to you? How do you want to help others?
If you can authentically tap into your purpose, live by your values, and practice what you love, then you are on the path to building your own legacy. It is this joyful and fulfilling life that will drive the impact that you make within your community.
A legacy that comes at the expense of your happiness is no legacy at all.
With a better understanding of your purpose, you are headed toward the final step of shaping the world.
During Diana’s interview, Frances expressed that “A legacy is about leaving a lasting footprint. The process includes planting a seed and watching it grow over many years.”
It is this seed that will flourish with hope and vivacity and will give rise to a future where the leaders and trailblazers of the world can come together and ignite change.
So, in order to leave a powerful legacy, you must embrace your freedom to pursue your dreams and then seek out your individual purpose. Once you do that much, you will be one step closer to strengthening your community and shaping the world.
Nicole Bessen
Content, Events, & PR Coordinator
BLLA