A box of bones – for some people, that’s all that’s left of their life on this earth. Such folks have spent all their money. They accumulated some cars, a flat screen TV and a mortgaged house. Their children miss them as well as a few friends, but not many other people notice much.
That’s probably where my life was heading before I had my heart attack in 2005. I was focused on success. Success for me, back then, was to have a nice lifestyle and to retire comfortably.
When I had my heart attack, in an instant I realized that my life probably didn’t matter much to the world, and I wasn’t happy about it. I wanted my life to mean something. I want to leave behind something more than just a box of bones.
The good news is that each of us has the capacity to live and leave so much more. We can outlive our life. We just need to figure out what that looks like for us, and take steps forward.
Today I am still working hard for success, but I now define success very differently. Today, success is counted in the number of lives I’ve impacted in a long lasting and significant way.
What do you want to be the legacy of your life?