Last Name Greatness

Sometimes we live our everyday lives without a single thought given to the legacy that we're going to leave behind. In most cases, the only time we reflect on our lives is the moment after avoiding a major car accident or while sitting in a pew at a funeral for a family member or friend. We often think, "If my life ended today, what would people think of me? Has my life made an impact on anyone? What will I be remembered for? What defines my short time here on earth?"


If you're like me, than these questions are usually met with disappointment. I usually get down on myself because I know that in my short 20 years of existence I haven't made the impact that my mind dreams of. I often have to remind myself that my circumstance or situation can't be used as an excuse to not make a difference. I can't tell myself I'm too young or too busy. I can't tell myself, "Well Stephen, you'll make a difference once you're finished with school. That will be your time to shine." But we are never guaranteed a tomorrow. The time to stand up is today. Right now.

What is that you want to be remembered by? “Oh man, when that girl was alive she had more friends than anyone I knew.”, “Man, that guy dedicated his entire life to making money. He sure accomplished his goal.”, “That woman only cared about what she looked like. It’s fitting she died before she got old.”, “That guy worked 60 hours a week. He built that company from the ground. It’s too bad he didn’t have any family at his funeral.” Is this what you want people to remember you by? Or something else? You decide. What imprint on this earth are you going to leave?

I have been given the privilege to call myself "Cliff". A last name that has impacted Oklahoma, Texas, Japan, Germany, and many other places. It's a name that honorably fought in WWII and the Korean War. A name that has ventured into new territories to establish new life and bloodlines. It's a name that has branched out into many professions to change the world in different ways. It’s served the military, the ministry, insurance, education, law, medicine, and technology. Almost any area in life you can find a Cliff making an impact. "Cliff" is correlated to hard working individuals who are known to never give up. "Cliff", to me, is a name to live up to. Shoes to fill. God has given us our last names with the benefit to set the standard. It's up to us how people will remember us. It doesn't matter what people may say about us, it is always up to us to defend our name. Many years from now, we will all pass away to another place and one of the only things left behind will be our gravestone. And what is the largest engraving on a tombstone? Our name. In 100 years, when people walk by our graves they will not be able to view a replay of our entire lives, but they will be able to see the one thing we leave behind: Our name. I’m ready to raise the bar. Ready to pick up my slack and change the world. So now it's up to you. Men: What legacy are you leaving your children with? What is your last name going to be remembered for? It's up to you. Women: Whose last name are you going to take on as your own? In this rare event, you get to choose your last name. Choose wisely. It can be life defining.


"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost