Originally Posted by TheLegacy

Now this is very personal to me and I do not discuss this to anyone but here it goes. When I was in high school entering seminar I had a vicious sarcasm that could rip anyone to shreds within moments. I was fast ? say anything to me and I would have a come back that would leave you the center of everyone?s laughter. It had gotten to the point that it was second nature and I didn't care of the fallout or who it hurt.

One time I use to have this ongoing banter with a girl named Ann (saving the last name) during a lunch break. We did this often much to the delight of the school. I had thought nothing of it until on day after lunch at 1pm when I went to class early to get a good seat.

I entered the class room hoping to get my thoughts together without any interruptions, but I was not alone ? there was Ann sitting at the back row crying her eyes out. I came up to her and asked what had happened and after a while she confided that it was my words that hurt her deeply and that they do every time. Now most people wouldn?t have given a shit, but for me I realized at that moment that my words could either raise someone?s spirits ? encouraging them, or I could rip them apart to tears and leave them a train wreck. I began thinking just how many people in the past I had actually hurt inadvertently with my flair for abusive language.

I think asked myself - what kind of legacy was I leaving people? Here I was promoting that I was a good person and caring, yet all the time I exuded painful remarks and was intimidating to be around as people feared what I may say to them. I had chosen at that moment that anytime I meet someone I would prefer to leave them a better person ? happier, wiser and encouraged. This was going to be my "legacy" as now so many have done for me in helping me throughout the years in this industry.