"Chasing Life" is a series on Netflix that I became addicted to but, nonetheless, one that inspired me more than binge watching probably should. If you died today what would you regret doing? What would you say on your death bed that you wish you would have done differently or things you would have acted on sooner? If the rest of the world lived the ways we watch on TV series and movies then maybe, just maybe, we would find our happy ending. I have a lot of opinions that I mostly get from simply observing. I am sometimes quiet because I am thinking. Thinking about the world around me; what does it all mean? Why am I here?

During a leadership workshop, I had to choose three adjectives that I thought described myself. I chose faith, passion and legacy. My junior year in high school, I participated in Junior Miss, our theme was 'legacy' and we had to write, on the spot, what we were going to read in response to what we want our legacy to be. Now the program is Distinguished Young Women, and I have used that essay for several applications. But that one day at the workshop reminded me of the hope I had in my legacy.

We began going around sharing the words we chose and what they meant to us. One of my peers said something along the lines of, "I bet we all have similar words and not anything dumb like 'legacy.'" Honestly, I was taken aback, since when is leaving your mark on the world a bad thing? Leaving a legacy is not to sit and worry about how other people are going to remember you. A legacy is so much more than that. A legacy is how you empower others while being true to yourself. If you died today what would your legacy be?

I have lived a lot in the past 21 years, but I'm not ready for the world to remember me as I am. On the outside I may look like I have it all together, except for the extra pounds college so graciously gifted me, but deep down, if I died today I would have regrets. I'm not saying I'm ready to go get a "no ragrets" tattoo, but damn, how would people remember me? What would my legacy be?

I have had the privilege of having a Pa-Paw that lulled me to sleep with his guitar and his soothing voice when I spent the night at his house growing up. I have had the honor of remembering a Paw-Paw in my life who delivered bunny bread, taught me how to "win" in board games, how to color inside the lines and used sarcasm as a second language. I have had the opportunity to be coached by Lewis, one of the most driven, hard-working and selfless women I have ever met. I have had the blessing to be graced by the presence of another Pa-Paw, a Navy veteran that shared with me his love for all things Kentucky and America and taught me that every once in a while it is important to appreciate time to sit back and turn your gaze outside, to the world fluttering around you. Every single day I am reminded of these amazing people who deserve more than the word amazing. Every single day I find a piece of them in my life and to me that means that they have left their legacy. Maybe not worldwide, but on someone.

"A legacy is something left behind even when you are not, it is what people remember you as when you no longer have the ability to defend yourself, and it is every word and action along the way that builds your legacy. We all want to be remembered for something, and it is this longing for definition that drives us to get out of bed in the morning, guides us to live each day as our last and opens up a world of opportunity within our grasp. I believe it is my determination, perseverance and attitude that set me apart from others. I take being from a small town as a challenge to push limits, expand boundaries and expand my horizons. I want to be an inspiration for others like me to believe that they can do whatever they set their minds to.

"Each day I wake with the hope to make a difference, to leave behind an everlasting legacy of a strong individual that also knows how to be a part of a team; an optimist that builds the dreams of a team and fearless leader that not only tells but shows and guides others in overcoming obstacles and accepting their mistakes to reach their dreams. I want people to remember me as someone who never gave up, that didn’t stop when they grasped their dreams, but reached past them, making each and every attempt to exceed all expectations. When people remember me, I want them to be inspired, not only to leave their excuses behind but to take on challenges to make themselves stronger; and to never back down, not only living to impress others around them, but to impress themselves.

"Each day is a new opportunity to be a better person and to make a difference. I can only hope that I have left enough of an impression on my family and friends, my school and my community to be remembered. However, I continue to push myself and aspire to leave a lasting impression on someone new, a new community, the state and maybe even the world.

“I’m intimidated by the fear of being average, and I want to leave behind a legacy that challenges the impossible, a legacy of 'can,' that proves anything is possible with a smile and little bit of faith in leaving behind your own legacy."

Cassidy M. Hyde

I wrote this essay when I was 17 years old. When I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea who I was as a daughter, a friend or a woman; when I didn't even know what a true legacy was. Since then, I have been touched by the lives of so many whose legacy is found in me and learned more about run-on sentences.To this day, I still have regrets, but I hope I can use the legacies I have been blessed with to write my own. I don't how or any of the Ws, but that's the joy of the future; you never know what you're going to get- so might as well make it count.

For now, friends, I challenge you to work earnestly, to kiss slowly, to forgive quickly, to take chances, to act sincerely, to give everything you have and have no regrets... to be discouraged, never.