When It's All Said and Done

Personal Development, Faith

Steven R. Covey was on to something when he wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He encouraged us all to "begin with the end in mind." In other words, he said let's look at where we want to go (or better yet, who we want to become) and work our way backwards to help develop a plan to get there. With this idea in mind I have--more so now than ever--began to consider what I want my life to look like when it's all said and done. But even more than that, I've considered what I want said about me when it is done.

Have you slowed down long enough to really think about that? Have you ever thought about what you want your eulogy to read? I don't mean to sound morbid, and I certainly don't mean to be insensitive toward anything related to death. I know there are many people who fear death tremendously, and there are many people I know who are grieving the death of a loved one. But, I believe in order to live life at our highest capacity and operate at our full potential, we must have a clear vision for what we want our life to stand for and how we want to be remembered by others.

This obviously doesn't mean that we have to live to please as many people as we can so that nice things will be said about us when we're dead and gone. Living to please man is a recipe for disaster and a sure fire way to reach the end of your life with a laundry list of regrets and unfulfilled dreams and desires. You can, on the other hand, live in such a way that even those who don't like you or those who don't partner with you will still be able to give credit where credit is due. 

When it's all said and done, and my time here one this side of eternity comes to an end, here's what I would want someone to say about me on the day my life is celebrated:

"Here was a man who loved God and loved people. He did all that he could with all that he had. He didn't allow his mistakes to define him--he grew in spite of them. He lived like there was no tomorrow, and he tried to encourage as many people as he possibly could. I wasn't put off by his rigid religion, but rather I was attracted to him because of his fearless faith. The darker the world became, the brighter his light shined. And his life gave me hope and showed me that I too was made for more."

I encourage you to invest some time in thinking about what you want others to say about you when the curtain closes on your time here. What do you want them to remember you for? What stories do you want them to tell? How will they describe the experience they had with you? Write it down and reflect on it. Allow it to drive what you do daily. And if you're up for it, comment below or email me and share it with me. 

Remember, there will be folks who aren't your biggest fans, but what a compliment it would be to even have those people respect your heart and your hustle in their conversation about you when you're no longer around.

Love you guys. Let's grow.

JT

Instagram: @jermataylor