Using literary quotes in email autosigs brings me back a few years when more people used them. I used to love reading them. They acted as that person’s mantra. One of the teachers at my son’s school currently uses this one:
This quote seems so pertinent to this day and age. I love the embedded personal challenge.
I wrote a post called “Facebooking while Rome burns” that intersects with this quote. Give it a read.
There is an important question to all of us in that quote and it speaks to our personal legacy.
When you die what will they say about you? No, they won’t comment on the hours you spent in the office, unless that office enabled some kind of meaningful, lasting impact. Few-to-none will comment on your popularity, wealth or social stature, and if they do those will be shallow comments.
People will talk about what you did with your gifts, your talents, your various currency. They’ll try to determine whether you’re life made a difference…whether it made a positive impact.
The question, for all of us, is what ARE we doing while our environment is being challenged the way that it is? What will our legacy be to the next generation? Will people look back and label us as modern-day rascals or will they pause and tell others about the difference we made. No, this isn’t about getting others to notice our value or impact… it’s about the impact. Other people’s opinions simply offer a barometer for that impact.
Find out what you love, whether that intersects with the environment or not, and make a difference in that area.
Think about your impact and your legacy. If you don’t think AND act, don’t expect anyone else to ever think about it either.
Read more from Jim Moriarty on his Ocean, Waves, and Beaches Blog.
