In Honor of the Greatest Legend of Them All: A Tribute to Scott Luckey Dinsmore + LYL Goes “Off the Grid”

12 Sep In Honor of the Greatest Legend of Them All: A Tribute to Scott Luckey Dinsmore + LYL Goes “Off the Grid”

“What is the work you can’t not do? Discover it. Live it. Not just for you but for everybody around you. Because that is what starts to change the world.” –Scott Dinsmore

Today marks one year since LYL’s fearless founder, my dear husband and a brilliant and beautiful man, left this planet.

In some ways, it’s completely unbelievable to me that I am sitting here writing this post. While I have felt, lived and breathed every moment, every emotion, and every obstacle that I have encountered over the past year, I also never could have imagined how I could possibly make it from September 12, 2015 to September 12, 2016.

On that day, one year ago, I was catapulted into a situation that challenged me at the deepest emotional layers possible. I entered into a world that I didn’t know how to exist in. I had to dig very deep during a trying time and find a meaning for my life that mattered enough to me to make me want to show up every day.

While I definitely felt some of the lowest possible lows, I also recognized that Scott loved me most when I was “me.” So I threw myself head first into taking unbelievably small steps and saying yes to life—which allowed me to live a tremendous amount during a year that otherwise could have been, in a sense, lost…

Being Honestly and Unapologetically Me

I have had a lot of people tell me that today is going to be a hard day. But I see it a bit differently…

Because I’ve realized that if you expect life to be easy, it will be hard. And if you expect life to be hard, it will be hard. But if you can just accept instead of expect from life, then you open yourself up to experience fully and find beauty in whatever is in store for you.

And while I am afraid to share how I see it, because I am not sure everyone will fully understand, I am taking a lesson from Scott himself…

“Being vulnerable means knowing who you are and having the courage to share it with the world. To show up, not as who you want to be or who people think you should be, but as you, and welcoming however the world reacts to it. ” –Scott Dinsmore

So on that note, to me, the only real difference between today and yesterday is the meaning that you choose to place on it…

And I see today, not as a day to look at what was lost, but instead as a day to look at what all of us have gained as a result of Scott Luckey Dinsmore gracing us with his presence and sharing his gifts and talents with the world the way he did.

Maybe I see it that way because the impact of losing him is not something I can face only during the milestones—it is something that I face every minute of every day. Because the trajectory of my life altered completely the moment he was gone.

Maybe it is because a huge part of my inner journey over the last year has been to let go of the need or desire to explain the unexplainable—and instead lean into it. And time (the arbitrary “meaning” of 365 days) is something that we use as a tool to try to control, make sense of and organize the the things we can’t explain.

Or maybe it’s because everyday I immerse myself in the work I do at LYL and, therefore, am consistently reminded that so much of him is still alive—his message and mission are reaching more people now than ever before! While choosing to be at the helm of LYL is a lot harder than anyone can fully comprehend, having the opportunity to keep this mission alive and lead this amazing community, is something that has given me a tremendous amount of purpose—and is something I am truly thankful for every single day that I wake up.

• This business has allowed me to keep a part of Scott alive.
• It has allowed me to travel across the globe and connect with real-life living legends. Which in turn has caused me to meet amazing people who have helped me on my inner journey. 
• I’ve gained perspective outside of myself. 
• I’ve developed an unwavering trust in what gets presented to me in life.
• I’ve grown as a person.
• I’ve evolved as a human.
• I am more grateful today than I was yesterday and will be even more grateful tomorrow than I am today. 

And I think all of that will allow me to give even more in my lifetime…

So today, instead of mourning what was lost, I am choosing to celebrate all the things that I gained as a result of who Scott was and how blessed I am that he was a part of my life. I am thankful for the things he taught me. I cherish the gifts he gave me. I appreciate the wisdom he left me. And I feel immense gratitude to all of you for being here—for supporting his mission, and me, as I continue it.

Because I couldn’t and wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you… so today I thank you deeply. I thank you for wanting more out of life. I thank you for showing up. And I thank you for giving meaning to what I do everyday. I see Live Your Legend, and all of you, as one of the greatest gifts that Scott left me.

So in honor of him and all of you, I am sharing the remarks that I gave at his private memorial service.

I hope that in viewing this video we will all be reminded of the beautiful lessons that he left us with. I hope that we will all be reminded that we are capable of so much more than we think we are—as beforehand I never could have imagined doing what I did on that day, or the 330+ days that followed.

Chelsea Dinsmore Tribute to Scott Luckey Dinsmore – October 2015 from Live Your Legend on Vimeo.

I also hope that you’ll be reminded that even when things are horribly ugly, beauty is always an option… Because if there is anything that is true in this life, it’s that we are bound to come across change, challenge, hardship and loss—whether that be physical loss or the loss of other equally important parts of ourselves, such as pride, love, hope, identity, etc.

These challenges are a given as we journey on our own individual paths, and at times it feels impossible, no doubt. But I often question if the only real tragedy in this life is to let the challenges we experience take away from who we are and who we are meant to be—let one loss lead to another…

Because:

If you are here, you have a purpose.

If you are here, it is not too late.

If you are here, you can give something to someone else, even if it is just one person.

If you are here you can leave the world a little bit better every day, just by how you show up. 

If you are here, you still have a choice…

And while it certainly isn’t easy, I see it as our duty to turn life’s lessons into a way to grow and give even more. So that when we leave this earth (because we all will), we do so having gifted the ones we love with the knowing that we did, indeed, live our lives with meaning and purpose.

Scott lived full out. He loved completely. He used his passions and talents to give back to the world. And so today, and everyday, I celebrate the man who was wise enough to live his life so purposefully—because I, in turn, received a great gift.

And… it is that gift that drives me to take that next step, even when it feels impossible.

It is that gift causes me to show up in the world with a smile on my face.

It is that gift that will motivate me to continually become a better version of me—so that I can give even more to all those around me.

But mostly, it is that gift—knowing how important it is to your loved ones to leave this world having lived a life of purpose—that I choose to celebrate today…. Because I know all too well that we aren’t guaranteed anything other than right now—so it’s up to all of us to embrace the moments we do have. To celebrate what we have, even in the midst of what we don’t, and to find meaning, purpose and magic in this very moment.

Without exception….

LYL Goes “Off The Grid”

Additionally, to honor the message in Scott’s final post, we are going “off the grid” again. The LYL team will still handle emails and customer service as usual, but we will be stepping away from blog posts and social networks the remainder of this week and all of next.

So, on that note, taking these words directly from Scott’s final post, I challenge you to join us….

Find a way to disconnect over the next couple weeks. You get to make the rules. Do whatever makes sense for you.

Here are a few ideas:

• Pick a day this weekend where all technology stays off.
• Turn off all push notifications on your phone (they’re the equivalent of digital crack) – ideally leave it on airplane mode or do not disturb when you’re not using it.
• The next time you go to dinner with someone you care about, leave your phone at home.
• Decide on a no phones or technology in the bedroom rule (you’ve got better things to do there anyway).
• Pick a time each day to disconnect – leaving the Internet off for the first few hours of the day and workday can change your life.
• Invite someone you love to join you for a day without devices – and tell them why you’re doing it.
• Just sit somewhere for a few hours. Perhaps with a journal and pen. See what flows out of your brain.

We’ll see you again in a few weeks.

With tremendous gratitude for every one of you…

–Chelsea Dinsmore