Leave a legacy, big or small, to make an enduring mark

One of my favourite things to do every time I visit London is to go on a book shopping spree.
Naturally, I was not going to miss an opportunity to visit Hatchards in Piccadilly, London's oldest bookshop, while I was vacationing in England a couple of weeks back.
There I caught them staring at me while skimming through the different genres. Masterpieces by Charles Dickens, F Scott Fitzgerald, and Herman Melvillewere all laid in full display, decades after their death. I could not help but wish that one day I could leave a big print of that magnitude and somehow remain alive years after I departed this world.
Of the reasons why many choose to become writers, inventors and entrepreneurs is to make a difference in the world, whether in a small or a big way.
Just take a look at Bill Gates, who is building his legacy and ensuring that he makes a positive impact during his lifetime. Though Microsoft granted many of us with practical computer software solutions and made him one of the world's wealthiest men, what really drives him is using his money to make a difference in people's lives.
While he already does so by providing people with programmes that assist them in publishing books, medical research, and scientific inventions, Mr Gates was aiming to make another kind of difference.
Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he has aimed to reduce extreme poverty, enhance health care and expand educational opportunities.
What I admire most about his foundation's efforts, is that Mr Gates involves people and partners up with them in his projects so that together they can achieve something great. For instance, together with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the organisation pledged US$100 million to buy and deliver vital vaccines that will save Afghan and Pakistani children's lives.
Other entrepreneurs, like the American Thomas Edison, stretched far beyond, outlived their own lives and had an impact on almost every person occupying this planet. More than just inventing the light bulb, Mr Edison founded one of the largest electricity companies in the world, General Electric, and helped to shape the modern media industry through his countless inventions, such as a motion picture camera.
As for me, in media interviews, I am often asked where I see myself five years from now. It is very hard to answer that question because just a year ago, there was no way I could have imagined my current position or my achievements so far.
Every day is an adventure and presents different opportunities. I do not know what gifts tomorrow will bring. But if I am sure of one thing, then it is that I am determined to leave a positive mark and legacy.
I want my legacy to be: "She was inspirational and encouraged us to follow our dreams."
This is something that guides me every day and influences the kind of projects I take on and the initiatives I want to be involved in.
I aim to help young Emirati entrepreneurs to overcome their fears, achieve their goals and find deep fulfilment in whatever they do, whether it is through my published work or personal interactions. I want to leave behind a legacy of young entrepreneurs, thinkers, fearless achievers, dream chasers and those who would hopefully create a domino effect and inspire countless others to do the same.
A legacy or a mark does not necessarily have to be of the same magnitude as Edison's. In fact, as an entrepreneur if your product or service changes just one person's life in some way, then you have made an impact. But it is always good to be ambitious and aim to positively affect as many people's lives as possible.
Tavis Smiley, an American talk show host and author, once said: "The choices we make about the lives we live determine the kinds of legacies we leave."
So think about it. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind, whether for your business, family or students? Once you have that question answered, it will help to guide your day-to-day routine and achieve your desired goals faster.
 
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and fashion designer