Strong Roots

Three weeks ago, I trekked to a town in Minnesota – population 345 – to reconnect with some of my dad’s mother’s family members. We get together every 10 years, so it’s no surprise that many make the effort to travel from points across the country for the three-day event.

From the eight children of Hannah and James (my great-grandparents who traveled to the US from Norway in 1886), we now number 464. With almost 200 relatives gathered, I didn’t know everyone personally; I enjoyed reconnecting with those I hadn’t seen in a decade and meeting some who came to their first reunion. That said, the photos, memorabilia, and reflections from Hannah’s four remaining grandchildren helped to bridge my family knowledge gap.

Stories of tough living conditions, spiritual strength, and love of family were plentiful. “We come from strong roots,” said one cousin. “Courage, resilience, kindness, and love have been nourished in those roots. And it’s your job to nourish them in those who come after us.”

As I thought, in awe, of the world that Hannah and James created so that future generations could thrive, I also found myself reflecting on how I am – and am not – nourishing the roots and carrying on the legacy of what our family believed.

Creating a path for others to follow after you are gone (from a job, from a situation, from your family) is a core principle of Transform Your Horizons, one of three paths of The LAITHOS Way™. What I learned during the Olson family union, is that, sometimes, the path you create is an extension of one that came before.

This Week’s Challenge: Think about the people who you surround yourself with – in business and in life. What do you want to carry forward from these people? How will you contribute to a legacy of which you will be proud?