I think most people would agree that we are meant to leave an imprint on Earth. Our time here should count for something, that we were born with a purpose, and that the proof of that purpose is a legacy. When we no longer exist, there should be something or someone to remind others of who we were. They should remember our name, our work, our creations, or our achievements.

That’s why, in many countries and regions around the world, people have traditions of ancestor worship. They build altars for their family lineage, expressing gratitude to their ancestors for the blood that runs through them, and in doing so, they keep those names alive.

In Pixar’s animation Coco, there is a central idea that runs throughout the story: death is not the end of the soul. A spirit only truly ceases to exist when no living person remembers their name, and that is when they completely disappear.

As a Vietnamese person, we share a similar belief. And I believe this is one of the reasons why people here often encourage us to get married and have children. “Who will worship you after you die?”, at its core, there is an unconscious fear of being forgotten.

Let’s take a closer look at this whole ‘legacy’ concept. We long to live, we want to live forever, but it’s obviously impossible. So we look for another, more subtle way to feel like we’re still living, that a part of us still exists somewhere on Earth.

Here’s the thing: having children is physically the most direct way to do that, and to feel that. There’s almost nothing that makes you feel more alive than watching a human being literally grow inside you, and then come into the world as a fully functioning person. That child becomes a living reflection of you, your legacy from the very moment they are born.

The whole process of giving birth and raising a child is incredibly intense. You pour your heart, your soul, and your time into it, and that creates a deep emotional bond that can last a lifetime. It can feel like there is no greater achievement than your child, they become a living expression of who you are, reflecting and magnifying so much of you as a human being.

That’s why we unconsciously become attached to our children. We want to give them the best, we feel proud of them, they feel like us in a younger form. For some people, their children become their entire life purpose.

And biologically, giving birth is the most natural way to pass on your genes, unless, one day, we discover another way to create life from our DNA.”

However, there is another way to pass on your energy and spirit besides having children: you can create something, just like giving birth to a child. This means the entire process, being pregnant, giving birth, and raising a human, must be mimicked. You need to put your whole soul into it.

If you choose to write a song, start a business, or learn a new skill, treat it like your child. Love it, hate it, live with it, cry with it, get angry about it, break down because of it, but never give up on it. That passion will grow into your legacy, and you will be remembered through it.

There have been many artists and scientists who had no offspring, yet their names still live on. Their art and their inventions continue to exist as their legacy. They need no one to worship or pray to them, because in a way, they have already lived forever, and their impact on the world is undeniable.

If we die someday, what part of us do you think will keep living? Not our possessions, not our achievements, not our money or status, it is actually our energy, our spirit, that continues to live and have an impact on the world.

So how can we put our energy or spirit into something or someone? You must put your whole soul and heart into your interactions with them. Whenever they are in your presence, you are fully there, fully present, fully attentive, and your energy begins to be absorbed by whoever or whatever you focus on.

That’s why children often carry our energy the most, because we naturally give them our full attention, especially the firstborn. Any art or product created with your full attention, your full heart, and your full devotion will carry a part of your spirit, and it will help spread your energy into the world.

All the extraordinary people, the geniuses of our time, pour a part of their soul into their creations. Their work then becomes their energy, living on, as if they are still here. They never truly die, their physical bodies may be gone, but in a way, they remain eternal… at least as long as humanity exists.

However, I believe there is another level, another way, perhaps the best way, to spread your energy and live on: to treat everything and everyone as your children. You pour your heart into every interaction with the world. If you’re talking with someone, be fully there with them. Do not think about the past or the future. Do not overthink the situation or create unrealistic scenarios in your mind.

When you water your garden, give the plants your full attention. When you play the piano, just play, even if you fail, try again. When you walk, let your thoughts go and focus on your feet touching the ground. Whatever you do, simply do it. Be with it, right here and right now.

That’s how you place your soul, your energy, into everything you come into contact with in this world. A conversation with you can change someone, and that person may go on to change the world. Your name may not be remembered, but your energy will be. It becomes a part of this world.

Beyond Nikola Tesla, Leonardo da Vinci, Ludwig van Beethoven, or Napoleon Bonaparte, there must have been hundreds, even millions of people whose names were never recorded, but who still played an important role in the lives of these geniuses. Perhaps they served them a warm cup of tea, kept their homes in order, or simply spoke to them with sincerity and presence.

We don’t need to do something extraordinary to be remembered. We don’t need our names written in history. We only need to live as our authentic selves, to cherish every moment we share with the world, and that is how your spirit lives on.

It lives in the people you meet, in the flowers you water, in the table you build, in the words you write, in the smile you offer, in the hands you hold, in the eyes you look into. Live every moment fully, and then, whoever you are, whatever you do, your soul remains here on Earth, eternal.