Uncommon Legacy.

"I believe in the light that shines and will never die
Oh I believe the fire burns, we stay alive
They will talk about us
Like they talked about the kings before us
They will talk about us


These are the words of a believer, achiever, leader of the globe
Feeding souls of those in need
I bleed the blood of the struggle
Walking over troubled puddles
Hustles in my chest, no hustle no progress"...

The opening lines of Common's track, Believer (from his 2011 release "The Dreamer, The Believer") ring true, especially on this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.  John Legend's powerful refrain - "They will talk about us", speaks to legacy.  Often we count that legacy in material terms. Sometimes we count it in terms of name recognition and honor.  But how will we be talked about by the communities that follow us, especially in light of the shape (literal and figurative) in which we leave them? 

We know the list of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, etc.  We all know someone afflicted with at least one of them.  We may even have a clear picture of our own health issues, but what do we do about them? Do we even speak to them honestly and confront them?    If we committed to making a single healthy change in our daily routine, over time, not only would we be better, but so too would our families, our neighbors, and our communities.  Multiply that out, and as Legend says, "...the fire burns, we stay alive".  

For that fire to burn it takes each of us to do a bit more than we are doing right now (if we can).  Common says, "Hustle's in my chest, no hustle no progress".  I hear a lot of people talking about their "hustle", and "going hard".  I know that my hustle is often not hard enough, and I suspect that the same is true for many people.  We really don't push as hard, as often, or for as long as we should.  The new year is a great time to change all that.  For that matter, every new day is a great time to do it.

I write this piece right after a short work-out that I did not want to do because of a nagging cough / cold. It was a combination of weights, calisthenics, and plyometrics. It got my heart rate up to 164 BPM (beats per minute).  I burned a few hundred calories, followed it with a sensible breakfast, flipped on the Common album, and sat down to write. I feel a bit better for it.  I cannot write about this without doing it, and I need to push myself to do it better.  I want that to be part of my legacy. 

Peace, be safe, and serve someone. 

PV