When one is lost,
you find meaning through words of other people.
I found one that immensely affected me, so great that it would be a sin
not to share his words. To Steve
Kroschel, thank you, I found solace and courage in the wisdom of your words.
Excerpts from Dying to have Known by Steve Kroschel
For each of us
eventually, whether we're ready or not, someday, it will 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 owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations
and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too your
hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do list 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
if you're 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 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 by whom, and for what.
A life lived that
matters is not of circumstance, but of choice.
