Choose a Life That Matters
What you're about to read was written by Patsy Hart Bailey upon the death of her life-long friend. It could not express more beautifully one of the "facts of life". I re-read it from time to time to come back to what matters.
"Ready or not, someday life as you know it will come to an end. There will be no more sunrises; no minutes, hours or days left. All of 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, what you owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and 'to-do' lists will have expired. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter from where you came, or on which side of the tracks you lived. At the end of your road, it won't matter whether you were beautiful, or brilliant; even your gender and skin color will be of no value.
Then what WILL matter? How will the true worth of your days on this earth 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 what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and personal sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your level of competence, but your genuine character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many of them will feel a lasting loss when you're gone. What will matter are ot your memories, but the memories that live in those you love, and in those who loved you. What matters is how long you will be remembered; by whom, and for what.
Living a life that matters does not happen by accident. It is never a matter of mere circumstances, but of choice. For each of us must choose to live a life that really matters."
Powerful truth. Do your actions, words, and intentions illustrate a life that matters?
Our home is Earth. Nature is our Mother. Listen to what she is begging us to do. Just like we had to keep our rooms clean...take it to a broader sense in regards to the planet. Failure to listen had consequences. This is no different. I take that back; it is different in the fact that the consequences affect all of us. And, the ramifications (punishment to learn the lesson) last much longer than a few days. It won't matter if you are poor, middle class or the leader of a country. Mother Nature excludes no one.
I will state it clearly. Those who are guilty of these demands know who they are.
Stop doing what you know is wrong. Stop using the excuse of "the stockholder" has to be kept happy. Stop being cruel to animals. Stop severing countless trees that give us oxygen to breathe. Stop making "deals under the table" that serve a select few. Stop pushing drugs as the answer to every problem. Stop focusing on killing a select few as one step closer to ever elusive peace. Stop wasting time and money making changes that serve what lobbyists advocate. Stop the distortion of the news and brainwashing the masses who watch it. Stop eating fast food that is known to be bad for you...it makes you fat faster, sick faster, and probably die faster. Stop complaining and start doing something that will help start a change for the better. Stop tossing waste out in the street or yard. Stop using “road rage” as a means to release stress. I could go on…but, you get the point.
Take a moment to take a deep inhale and exhale. Take a moment to see the bigger picture. Your world is an increment of the whole world. Do what you can to make your piece more at peace.
Make choices that make life better for all. It is as simple as that. “Be the change."
"Ready or not, someday life as you know it will come to an end. There will be no more sunrises; no minutes, hours or days left. All of 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, what you owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and 'to-do' lists will have expired. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter from where you came, or on which side of the tracks you lived. At the end of your road, it won't matter whether you were beautiful, or brilliant; even your gender and skin color will be of no value.
Then what WILL matter? How will the true worth of your days on this earth 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 what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and personal sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your level of competence, but your genuine character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many of them will feel a lasting loss when you're gone. What will matter are ot your memories, but the memories that live in those you love, and in those who loved you. What matters is how long you will be remembered; by whom, and for what.
Living a life that matters does not happen by accident. It is never a matter of mere circumstances, but of choice. For each of us must choose to live a life that really matters."
Powerful truth. Do your actions, words, and intentions illustrate a life that matters?
Our home is Earth. Nature is our Mother. Listen to what she is begging us to do. Just like we had to keep our rooms clean...take it to a broader sense in regards to the planet. Failure to listen had consequences. This is no different. I take that back; it is different in the fact that the consequences affect all of us. And, the ramifications (punishment to learn the lesson) last much longer than a few days. It won't matter if you are poor, middle class or the leader of a country. Mother Nature excludes no one.
I will state it clearly. Those who are guilty of these demands know who they are.
Stop doing what you know is wrong. Stop using the excuse of "the stockholder" has to be kept happy. Stop being cruel to animals. Stop severing countless trees that give us oxygen to breathe. Stop making "deals under the table" that serve a select few. Stop pushing drugs as the answer to every problem. Stop focusing on killing a select few as one step closer to ever elusive peace. Stop wasting time and money making changes that serve what lobbyists advocate. Stop the distortion of the news and brainwashing the masses who watch it. Stop eating fast food that is known to be bad for you...it makes you fat faster, sick faster, and probably die faster. Stop complaining and start doing something that will help start a change for the better. Stop tossing waste out in the street or yard. Stop using “road rage” as a means to release stress. I could go on…but, you get the point.
Take a moment to take a deep inhale and exhale. Take a moment to see the bigger picture. Your world is an increment of the whole world. Do what you can to make your piece more at peace.
Make choices that make life better for all. It is as simple as that. “Be the change."
Comments
Also I don't want to carry the burden of creating good memories with good people. I already love them a lot and when I'm gone everything should end and be like I never existed.
I feel compelled to let you know that even when you die, your existence does not disappear. Everything serves a purpose for others and your inner growth. I wish for you the ability to forgive yourself and who and whatever ignited you to make you feel like a burden. Lighten your inner load in your heart. You just made a positive impact by reminding me and others that what appears on the outside pales to what is going on the inside of a person's mind and heart. Peace and forgivness go hand in hand.