(an excerpt from SELLING THE TRUTH: A ‘Semoir’ with Insights for Life and Business by Hersh Rephun)
The impact we have on the world becomes our brand. How we are perceived both now and after we’re gone… this is the legacy we leave to others. This legacy brand is something we will have cultivated—knowingly or unknowingly—over the course of our mortal lives. Here’s hoping like hell it’s a good one, right? Whatever brand you leave to others as your legacy depends largely on how much you have valued the truth, and whether you were able to sell that truth with a pure heart, both professionally and personally.
My Dad and the Meaning of “Legacy”
I was 29 years old when my father passed away, and only now am I truly processing the loss. At the shiva we held for him, I asked my late uncle, the revered Rabbi Sholom Rephun, what becomes of us when we die. After all, if the brain dies, so do our memories and our knowledge of life on earth. My uncle shared that while Judaism does not embrace the notion of “Heaven” or “Hell,” we do believe strongly in the viability of the soul, the “Neshama,” which does carry on. The Neshama has been impacted by all its experiences in the living world. In fact, we “sit shiva” in the home of the deceased because in the aftermath of death their soul is in turmoil, being pulled away from their physical existence. The presence of loved ones and the familiar environment eases the soul’s path forward, and wherever it goes next, this soul will retain an imprint from this world. Thus, the ultimate connections we make are beyond words, beyond the material, and are the essence of our time here.
Although I had begun the discussion with my uncle asking questions about the “afterlife,” what we were really talking about was my father’s legacy. Every interaction my dad had with me had imprinted his Neshama with part of my soul, and reciprocally, these interactions had left their imprint on my soul. For those of us still here in the physical world, this represents an opportunity to carry forward all the good things that have been impressed upon us—and to create deep connections that will have an impact not only now, but also in the future.
So now, I need to ask something of you in terms of these connections you are making and the impact that they will have on you and those you care deeply for, which is, at this very moment, creating your legacy brand. The problem is, I’m not good at asking for things. It’s uncomfortable. It’s awkward. It feels one-sided and thus unfair. I’m getting antsy just thinking about it. However, I’m fairly certain I can do it, since in this case I’m not asking you to do something for me. I’m asking you to do this for you, for your brand, and for your legacy.
Here’s my ask. It’s just three simple words: Change your life.
Yes, change your life using the Nine Knowings of selling the truth that we have explored throughout this book…
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