It Happens By Choice

Tonight I read something that really touched me and I had to share it because when something inspires me like this did I want to share with everyone I know so they can be inspired too!  I hope you love it as much as I did and I hope it inspires you too – Have a brilliant day everyone! 

LIVE A LIFE THAT MATTERS

Ready or not, someday 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,

It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?

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, and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens by choice –

~Amy

2 Comments

  • kinetprakash says:

    Thanks Amy.

    Good one.

    I remember Clayton’s article on “purpose of life” on HBR….

    We need to understand the purpose (if there is one?) of life… to live a life….

    Sooner or later,
    Fortune or misfortune
    May befall you.

    When you know this,
    You desire nothing,
    You grieve for nothing.

    Subduing the senses,
    You are happy.

    Whatever you do
    Brings joy or sorrow,
    Life or death.

    When you know this,
    You may act freely,
    Without attachment.

    For what is there to accomplish?

    All sorrow comes from fear.
    From nothing else.

    When you know this,
    You become free of it,
    And desire melts away.

    You become happy
    And still.

    (from Ashtavakra Gita)

  • Bradley says:

    Thanks for sharing Amy!! This is what I call a Legacy and thus strive to leave one that will be worthy of all the incredible people that have gave so much so that I may have the opportunities to make a future worthy of Legacy for my children and their children!!

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