How do I figure out what legacy I actually want to leave behind?

Rabia al-Adawiyya didn't set out to become legendary—she lived according to what felt true to her, and the impact followed. Start smaller. Ask yourself: what do the people closest to me say I'm reliably *about*? Not your resume. Your actual presence. What problem in the world makes you lose sleep? What kindness have you given without expecting anything back? Legacy isn't a monument you construct; it's the shape your choices make over time. Write down three moments when someone thanked you for something you did—not professionally, but as a human. What were you doing? That's often where your real legacy lives. The second part is harder: accept that you won't control how you're remembered. Rabia was a mystic, a poet, a woman who challenged the powerful—and different communities remember her differently. Your job is to live with integrity now, to love without keeping score, to show up for what matters. The legacy takes care of itself.