I was lucky enough to have known Fritzi Woods, President and CEO of the Women’s Foodservice Forum, who passed away on Sept. 18. Fritzi brought so much energy and life to everything she touched. We shared a passion for helping women succeed. Only 53 years old, she left behind a tremendous legacy. In a letter to Fritzi’s family, first lady Michelle Obama called her “a leader, an innovator and a role model for women across our country.”
As I mourn the loss of this amazing person, I’ve been thinking about what it means to leave a legacy. Today, I encourage you to think about your own legacy and what you can do today to align your life with what you want to leave behind. These three questions can be a starting point.
1. What three things would you want someone to say about you?
2. How aligned are your time and energy with your desired legacy?
3. What one action will you take toward your desired legacy?
It could mean a small step like saying no to something that doesn’t fit, making a different everyday choice or shifting your mindset.
Sometimes it takes a jolting event like the loss of a friend or loved one or a brush with illness to get us to stop and consider what’s truly important and what we most want to create with our lives. As we remember the life and work of Fritzi Woods, let’s honor her this week by taking at least one small step toward the legacies we each want to leave.