Sunday, July 5, 2009

Things to ponder....

Some day it will all 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 finally 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 on at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. 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 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 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. - Michael Josephson

I am not very religious..... but amen to that.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I'll drink to that ... !

Cheers!

PD said...

Agreed. Funny how we worry about things we can't control. All we can do is handle what is in front of us, & make the most of it.

Great Quote.
: )

Unknown said...

Could not have said it any better. Rememeber this: you own nothing in this world, you are merely its temporary custodian; someday it will either be passed on to someone else or vanish into obscurity. Think about that when you devote your life to amassing material things and wealth. You can't take it with you no matter what. Great post J. Have a smashing time in Syracuse.

Evan

Anonymous said...

Did you find this yourself or did someone send it to you? Wow, someone's got your back! Nice words...thanks for sharing.

Oatie Spoon