Today's legacy question is: Describe a time in your life when you had the most clarity about your life's purpose.

My first reaction is "Ugh!".  I had a much easier time choosing this question to ask of others than answering it myself. 

I think I have the most sense that I am in the right place doing the right thing when I am sharing an activity with my family. In the winter, we watch movies or TV shows online.  We watch YouTube videos together.  I introduced my children to such cultural mainstays as The Rocky Horror Picture Show through YouTube. 

When the weather warms up, I look for activities to do outside.  Finding us in the same place at the same time is hard during the day, but eating dinner out on the deck is almost as enjoyable as a campfire out in the woods. 

Why does this give me clarity?  I guess because I really like my family members as individuals.  I also feel that we are living out some of life's most important lessons this way:  We respect each other's feelings.  We look to feed our entertainment appetite with positive fare rather than "put down" comedies or violent shoot-em-ups.  We enjoy each other's company.  Since my kids are 16 and 17 years old, I think that's quite an accomplishment.

Now some would suggest that I am too insular.  After all, if my life's purpose is to empower others why don't I find clarity in volunteering or some other community activity?  I find a lot of satisfaction in doing these things.  But there's no guarantee that I will enjoy the company of the people I work with when volunteering.  Relationships are at the core of being human and leaving a legacy.  While it's possible to empower people without having much of a relationship with them, it's not very easy or fulfilling.   I feel the most clarity when I am cementing relationships with those closest to me.

I don't think I'm alone in this.  Stephanie Kimbro of www.virtuallawpractice.org answered that she had the most clarity when she had her first child.  As she said "Nothing like biology to show clarity in life's purpose"

My clients plan their legacies because of their relationships.  The most common relationships they want to enhance are with family.  Whether clients are planning their estates or handling their businesses, family is the most common motivator.  Community follows in second, but it's not a close second.  Clients work with me and lawyers or advisors like me because they value their relationships with their families and community and want to maximize the benefits of those relationships.  That's a pretty good way to make a living and a difference.

It's also a wake-up call to a problem on the horizon.  When I face the empty nest, I think I'm going to get hit hard.  That's motivation to begin creating more relationships.

When do you feel the most clarity about your life's purpose?