Recently I was walking on the beach, and I noticed all the different type of footprints in the sand. I saw footprints from hiking boots, sneakers, flat soles, and even bare feet. Some of the footprints were big, some were small, and there were even a few children’s size. There were also lots of different types and sizes of animal and bird footprints, too.
I noticed many of the footprints kept going in a straight line (or close to it). This felt as though the person had a destination in mind and each step got them closer to it.
Occasionally, a set of footprints left the sand bunched up at the front of the step. These made me think the person was running on the beach. Were they exercising? Had they just realized they were late for an appointment? Or were they goofing around with a friend or playing with their dog?
My favorite sets of footprints were a circle of lots of animal prints together. Again, the image I conjured up was of a dog playing ball with his/her human. They kept dancing around, while the human decided where to throw the ball next! Or, perhaps the dog was playing “keep away” from their human (our dog, Makena, often did that with us!)!
It was fun to let my imagination create stories for some of the different sets of footprints I saw.
As I considered these footprints, I thought about how one leaves footprints every day. These footprints represent your unique life and the different paths you have chosen. Just 
like the footprints I saw in the sand:
- sometimes the path is straight and direct
- other times you may leave a deep impact
- sometimes your steps are light and barely noticeable
- others represent fun and games.
As you stop to think about your life right in this moment, consider these three questions:
- Do you feel the footprints you are leaving align often with what is most important to you?
- Are you clear about the type of footprints you want to create?
- What changes do you want to make to your footprints to ensure they align with the impact you want to have on the world?
At the beach, the footprints are almost always washed away by the tide two times a day. But the footprints that represent your life, live on. The key is to leave footprints that represent who you are, what you stand for and create the impact you desire. This is the legacy you are creating today.
