You Have the Power to Create Your Own Legacy — What Will It Be? True legacy is not just in the success of our endeavors, but in the impact that we have made on others around us. We can leave an "intentional legacy" in the world by making a positive impact on the lives of others.

As I come up on the 40th anniversary of the company I started in 1985, I am often asked about the legacy that I would like to leave in life. This question reminded me of the story of another businessman who almost left an "accidental legacy" instead of an "intentional legacy."

Sitting at a table in a cafe in the middle of 19th century Paris, a successful inventor, industrialist and millionaire drank freshly roasted coffee and set about updating himself on the news and current affairs of the day.

While we benefit from notifications on our phones, streaming news 24 hours a day and the ability to name search any of our contemporaries, for this gentleman, the best way to keep up with the achievements of his peer group and to judge his own was to read the obituary section in his daily newspaper.

He turned the pages, scanning names, ages and accolades, when suddenly he stopped; his eyes froze, locked and fixated on his very own name: Alfred Nobel.

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Once the initial shock of seeing himself in the obituary section subsided and concluding that it was a mistake due to sloppy journalism (in fact, it was a case of mistaken identity with his brother Ludvig who had died of heart failure), his curiosity impelled him to read on.

What would the world say about me, a successful chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman and philanthropist, who has made many major contributions to science and holds more than 350 patents?

The headline read: "The Merchant of Death Is Dead." The implication was clear: The person who had become rich by finding ways to kill more people, faster than ever before, died yesterday.

As is often the case, inventions with noble intentions can be used for multiple purposes, and his invention — while used to save thousands of lives in the mining industry — had been claimed by militaries around the world and used on the battlefield to kill millions.

This, the most famous of his inventions, was a safe way of harnessing the explosive power of nitroglycerine, known as TNT or dynamite, to safely mine resources from mountains.

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This well-known story of mistaken reporting in 1888 was the driving factor in the decision of this 19th-century gentleman to change his legacy. Seven years later, on Nov. 27, 1895, he signed his last will and testament at Paris's Swedish-Norwegian club. The then 62-year-old industrialist had often mused about using some of his personal fortune to support and encourage the work of both scientists and inventors from around the world.

This document, however, described a project that was far more ambitious than anyone could have imagined. In a relatively short document, fewer than 1,000 handwritten words, lay a plan to devote a huge amount of his personal fortune — in fact, the majority of his estate valued at more than $265 million in today's money — to a series of awards.

These awards were dedicated to "those who, during the preceding year shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."

The awards consisted initially of five prizes. The first three were for the greatest discoveries and/or inventions in the fields of medicine, chemistry and physics. The fourth was a standalone prize in the field of literature for "the most outstanding work."

The final prize was awarded to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation of spreading of peace congresses."

Decades later, in 1968, a sixth prize was added in the field of economics.

Despite paying out multiple prizes annually, each with a current value of more than $1.1 million, this working fund has grown to more than $570 million and is used to recognize the greatest achievements of humanity and to inspire those observing to achieve more.

The man's name was Alfred Nobel and when you think of him today, you do not think of the "merchant of death." You instantly think of the Nobel Prize, the annual award that has been instrumental in recognizing the very highest in human achievements for more than a century.

I tell this story to demonstrate that no matter where you are on your journey, no matter how you are currently perceived by those around you, you have the power and opportunity to create the legacy that you desire.

The notion of legacy, often entwined with ideas of wealth or historical impact, is deeply philosophical. With that in mind, let me paraphrase Jean-Paul Sartre, a towering figure in existentialist philosophy, who provides a compelling perspective on legacy through his poignant observation in his play No Exit: "One always dies too soon or too late and yet their life is complete at that moment, with a line drawn neatly under it ready for the summing up." You are your deeds in life and little more.

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During our lifetimes, we all have the opportunity to create either an "accidental legacy" or an "intentional legacy." Nobel realized that he was about to leave an accidental legacy that he did not want. So instead, he was determined to leave an intentional legacy. It's one that we all recognize today. We may not all have the type of wealth that Nobel had for his intentional legacy; however, we all have the power to make our legacy intentional.

True legacy is not in the success of our endeavors, but in the impact that we have made on others. Leave an intentional legacy in the world by making a positive impact in the life of others before the line is drawn neatly under your life, ready for the summing up.

This article is drawn from the book Infinite Legacy co-written Ivan Misner along with Greg Davies and Julian Lewis.