What Will Matter?

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 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 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 lost when you’re gone
what will matter is not your memories
but the memories that live in those who loved you
a life lived that matters is not of circumstance
but of CHOICE
- The Beautiful Truth