Live: Authentically. Fully. Usefully.

ByMatthew

When it comes time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived. – Henry David Thoreau

A great way to live while you’re alive (something I love to say and think about… ) is to write your obituary, as you would like it to read.

Write an account of your life that describes the relationships you had and the impact you made. That talks about who you were as much as what you did.

Then, once you have this not-necessarily-morbid wish list, get busy on creating those things for real.

Make your life about what you want it to have been about. (Forgive that somewhat tortured English, I want you to re-read that until you get it… )

At least every year, review your “draft” obituary and make it “read” better and better. Take lessons from what you’ve done and (regularly) re-write the story of life.

Most of all, live while you’re alive.

Similar Posts

  • How To Accomplish More

    ByMatthew

    Who begins too much accomplishes little. – German Proverb Scattered. Harried. Stressed. Frantic. . . . *  *  * These are the words that describe the day-to-day lives of so many people. It’s what happens when you try to do too much. When you don’t know how to say “No” to the things that match…

  • How To Move Forward With Ease

    ByMatthew

    “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs In a way, what Steve is talking about is whether one is on authentically chosen path, and is part of something larger than one’s self – or something else. The “something…

  • Default vs Intentional

    ByMatthew

    Default. Habitual. Less-than-fully-Conscious. Routine. Comfortable. The Usual. So much of what we do is out of habit. It’s routine. It’s just the way we do it. There’s good reason for how this happens and why. We’re built to create and use routines and habits. It’s efficient. It leaves room to focus on threats and survival. It’s primitive….

  • Someday Never Comes

    ByMatthew

    There are seven days in a week and Someday isn’t one of them. – Unknown Whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to create. Whatever you want to become. Whatever relationship you want to start or repair. Begin now. Take some action now. The first step though, often isn’t the first step (at least…