Make It Count

Do you wonder if your legacy will be memorable? I do hate to be the bearer of bad news, but regardless of your dynamic personality or kind acts the odds are the world will forget you in a few generations. If being remembered buoys your ego and fulfills your self-esteem, I just sunk your battleship. It is defeating to know long before you reach six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon no one cares about you. So what’s the use? Is the measure of your self worth honestly notoriety? I laugh at moviestars devoting years to become famous then spending the rest of their lives behind sunglasses cursing it.

In the entire scope of things our time is so brief on this sphere it is exponentially insignificant. I repeat, so what’s the use? Given no guarantee of tomorrow seize the moment and endow life with your best effort. For who? For you! At the end of the day when the crowds depart and the lights dim you are confronted with reality. If your life is a façade you can’t deceive yourself, because you cannot con a con. If you’re living to please others in order to receive their recognition you are the only earthly judge and jury that matters. Tear down that house of cards, have confidence in yourself and begin living fully. It is a decision within your control.

Many devote their time to becoming wealthy. Money is wonderful and can change lives, but if the chase is the sole devotion a lifetime is squandered. Others do nothing what so ever except count down to the dirt nap. There is the dreamer who never acts and those that have an excuse at the ready for every situation.

Make a difference! Big or small, make the effort. I am extraordinarily fortunate and blessed in my ALS adventure. I have been blessed with the opportunity to help others. Assisting others has saved me thousands of dollars given to a psychologist, because others’ problems quickly put my issues into perspective. I highly recommend it as an alternative to couch time.

My favorite description of success hangs on my bedroom wall by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

To laugh often and love much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

Make your life count in this manner. Nothing is more rewarding than changing a life for the better. Thanks so much for reading. Have a magnificent weekend! I’ll be back on Monday. dj