Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things we collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Our wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what we owned or what we were owed.
Our grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, our 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 we came from, or on what side of the tracks we lived, at the end.
It won't matter whether we were beautiful or brilliant.
Even our gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of our days be measured? What will matter is not what we bought, but what we built; not what we got, but what we gave.
What will matter is not our success, but our significance. What will matter is not what we learned, but what we taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate our example.
What will matter is not our competence, but our character. What will matter is not how many people we knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when we are gone.
What will matter is not our memories, but the memories that will live in those who loved us.
What will matter is how long we 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.
"We are, or become, those things which we repeatedly do.
Therefore, Excellence can become not just an event, but a habit ".
Albert Einstein.
Beautiful words. Thank you, Appa, for sharing these with us. But you have made me sad by talking of death.
ReplyDeleteA dear departed lives on in the memories of those whose lives he had enriched. And, he moves to the next level of his spiritual journey.
One thing I am sure about death: it is defeated by love.
Thats a great post and has a strong message in it..death is inevitable..its the deeds that would be left behind.
ReplyDeleteAlbert Einstein is one of my favorite persons.Valuable advice on what is really worthwhile. Some of us forget the important things because of concerns of everyday life.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post Sir.
ReplyDeleteThe first few lines are captivating the thought!
Even this will pass away!
ReplyDeleteTerrific post Sir.. As I read the words, I couldnt help feeling that this is an outstanding piece.. Einstein was a philosopher saint more than a man of science.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I would like to add here is that everyone should reflect on our purpose of life. If we identify our purpose, our actions will automatically follow. As long as our actions are alligned with our purpose, we are on the right track.
It is another matter that for identifying the "right purpose", each of needs a Guru who is knowledgable.....
The perspective of life from a wise man who have seen it all.Thanks for sharing it with us :)
ReplyDeleteA life full of virtue , high thinking that leads to good action is what is recommended. All this needs a reflective mind and an urge to evlove to the next level in life.
ReplyDeleteHema
I like this one.. So nice...
ReplyDeleteExcellent words! should be read by everyone and that too periodically to remind us.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely one of the best pieces of literature I ever came across...thank you sir.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post!
ReplyDelete