Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

A bit of a preface for today: I started writing this and got really introspective. I don’t usually like to talk about myself in a way that seems like I have a big ego or think too highly of myself, but in recent months I’ve been reminded that I need to be comfortable with external validation and self-love/respect. So I’m trying to include that in my posts from time to time, in case any noticed.

Today has been a busy day, so I’m getting to this late, but I did have a chance to read the prompt last night before I fell asleep. So I’ve had some time to think this one over and do what I usually do with the daily prompts.

Something that came to mind is how do you interpret this question? Is this about how you want to be remembered in the grand scheme of things, or is this just about small day-to-day interactions that you have with friends, family, or coworkers that lead to them talking about you to strangers?

In my mind, talking about the former option, I don’t know that I will be remembered the way I might envision. I’m no Brandon Sanderson or George R.R. Martin, but would I like to be? Sure! In that scenario I’d hope people say nice things about me and the work I’ve done, or give positive reviews of my books because they inspired someone and that person wanted to share that with a friend. Things like that.

For the latter option, I’d hope for something similar, if a bit more down to earth and ‘normal’. That they might say nice things about me in regards to the way I treat people, always being helpful when asked, taking care of and spending time with my family. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that there might be some people out there who probably said some things about me that I wouldn’t like. Those people might not have been aware at the time that their actions played just as much a part (if not larger) in why our friendships deteriorated and we drifted apart. That being said, I do still hope they would say nice things about me for all that I did and sacrificed for them.

The last thing that came to mind was if there were a way to know all of this, I probably wouldn’t want it, because I don’t want to live with constantly worrying about seeking external validation. I just want to keep moving forward.