Facebook’s #tenyearchallenge



I decided to pick my own decade for Facebook’s #tenyearchallenge. So here I am at six-years old and sixteen-years-old. When I was six, I was frequently scolded for not coloring within the lines. By 16, I was learning that “coloring within the lines” wasn’t the only way to color. But I still hadn’t faced the adult world.

The ten year challenge photos have brought some fun to the Facebook newsfeed. As I gaze at some of my young friend’s faces, I don’t see a whole lot of change over ten years. That’s not true at my age. My mirror gives me my own reality challenge.


But for my younger friends, you’re in the exciting, life-changing,  life-building years. You’re also making a difference in our world—or you can be. You’re doing the work of building a legacy that only you can create. Legacies take time, but I already see some amazing work in your lives. I have two young friends raising special needs children, others are tackling college while raising a family. Some are entrepreneurs. Building is happening.


Your legacy includes the experiences you’ve had, the life you’ve shared with others, the love you’ve offered, and the lessons learned. While some legacies are about wealth accumulation, many more are about how our accumulated time has made life better for others.




Legacies are built through careers, friendships, marriage, parenting, and our community work. Hopefully, when you look back, you’ll have a legacy helpful to those who follow after you.


We most certainly age in these legacy-making years. But far bigger than the differences we can see in our faces over the years, are the lives we have an opportunity to help as we share our journeys.


Question: What will your legacy look like in ten years? Hopefully, you’ll have a long lifetime to build it.



P.S. I wrote this before hearing the news that one of my high school classmates died this week. She was vivacious, endearing, ever-smiling, kind-hearted, and genuine as could be. While I’ve been praying for her family in this devastating loss, she did leave an amazing legacy of love and a passion to serve others. May her legacy live on through her children, grandchildren, and all of us who grew up with her cheerful support. You’ll be missed, sweet friend.


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