Live A Life That Matters
Ready or not, someday it will come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned, or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant;
Even your gender or your skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built;
Not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is your every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others — to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
But how many people will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories,
But the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom, and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance, but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
I got this from a Yahoo news article. Some things to ponder on this Lenten season. And at all times, I guess.
6 comments:
Nice. I think in a way, it's what's keeping me going. I want my life to matter, even if it's only to the people closest to me. You know what sucks? When you're stuck in a miserable situation and people involved don't even care. Maybe I really should just walk away, shouldn't I?
I like this. :)
Here's to living a life that matters!
Anonymous, I say try your best to change your situation. If that means walking away, then I guess that's the answer. The decision is yours in the end.
Numi, cheers! ;)
This is what struck me most: "What will matter is your every act of integrity ... that enriched, empowered or encouraged others ..."
... because often, acts of integrity are invisible to others anyway and when they ARE seen, they are sometimes unwelcome. After all, shortcuts and compromises are easier and don't cause as much strain on relationships.
Acts of integrity can feel so lonely. But I do agree they matter in the end.
Anya, I know what you mean. And why aren't you blogging anymore?
No time. Utterly swamped.
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