Legacy, legacy, legacy
As I sit here typing into my laptop, someone that a lot of people admire passed away and shook a lot of people (including myself) to tears. Chadwick Boseman was someone I had no idea about until he took the role of T’Challa in Civil War, then through to numerous appearances in the MCU including Black Panther. For many it was a cultural milestone, that black people could not only be superheroes but amazing, powerful and thriving too.
After hearing the news I dug into a Wikipedia article and had a good, hard look over his acting back catalogue. I found a rich and varied set of roles. From sports legends such as Jackie Robinson in 42, to Thurgood Marshall in Marshall and James Brown in Get On Up. With each role he shifted himself into new personas, accents and people who had some form of presence or weight to them.
Then I found out he passed away of stage IV colon cancer and he was diagnosed at stage III in 2016 yet continued to work until recently. Its not something I will obsess over, but it takes a unique person to continue working through operations and chemotherapy, having absolute focus and determination on what they’re doing to get through the years of treatment.
While the tears were subsiding, I thought a lot about what I’m doing that will be left behind once I’m gone. Some will think that’s a bit morbid, but I don’t because face it: I won’t be around forever. I could be here for another 60 years, or I could be gone with not much thought given to it. I know thanks to the ongoing pandemic, I am very much a mortal rather than immortal.
I think of the years I worked in an office with a decent salary, just clocking in and out and waiting for the weekend. Not that anything is wrong with that, but it definitely didn’t satisfy me at all. I wanted something more and it led me to this freelancer life, where things are slow but require me to focus every day.
Now, I think about the long game. What am I giving myself? In turn, what am I giving my colleagues? What am I giving my clients? How am I serving?
How about you?
On that thought…keep your eyes on the prize and #embraceinfinity
Aquila Hope is a transformative coach, black trans activist, speaker, podcaster and songwriter. They’re found through Instagram, Twitter, Medium and their own website. Their podcast ‘Grasp At The Root’ can be found on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are distributed. Aquila lives on the outskirts of Birmingham, enjoys self improvement, creating music, good coffee and pizza.
