Look, I am not a saint. Far from it, actually. I have done one too many stupid, selfish, crazy things in the past. Maybe now, I am turning on a new life because I am trying to make amends? But based on my track record, it looks like I would need a lot more ‘making up’ time. But it’s okay. No rush, right? ANYHOW, well, I saw this particular piece from a fellow student’s website and personally, I think it’s amazing. Read this everyday (or when you are feeling being especially mean and rotten.) I just want to share. Maybe, you’ll like it. If you think it’s too goody-goody just forget you read it. I am not the preachy type anyway. But if you find it useful, then COOL! 
WHAT WILL MATTER/BY MICHAEL JOSEPHSON
5/9/2008 11:00:06 AM
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, or on what side
of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and 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 how hard
you tried.
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 chance, but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters
___________________________________________
Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be
grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. ~John
Woode
Filed under: Personal Musings
