We all have lost people in the last 2 years. People we love, people that matter to us. Our world view has changed in light of the pandemic. We see our own mortality more easily these days. We make such a big deal when an actor/artist/influencer dies, but every death means that an actor, artist and influencer, dies. Every person who dies should be acknowledged and celebrated for their accomplishments and their contribution to life.

I recently heard the term "mortality motivator". In a time when death seems so close for all of us, when the world has become unpredictable, when disease can strike even the strong, we have to think about our own mortality. We all have met people who have a bad diagnosis, or have overcome an illness, survived a car accident, or have experienced major trauma. There is something different in their lives, a new force, a new urgency to life, a new determination to make life last. Often it is referred to as the mortality motivator. When we recognize that our lives are not forever on this earth, when we reach the point when we have seen enough death, or when we get older ourselves that we are ready to move forward, to dream a bigger dream, to dig a little deeper, to enjoy life more, to give more of yourself. Because we know that "you will never see a U-haul behind a hearse". What matters is the life we live today. Many people want to live their lives well today to be ready for eternity, others want to leave a legacy for the next generation. Whatever your motivator, Horace Mann said "Be ashamed to die until you have scored some victory for humanity."

Step out of your own world and make an impact on the larger society. I see so many people living for the personal here and now, the bigger house, the better car, the greater vacation, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying what you have, but my question is: what are you doing for the bigger good of community? What victories are you claiming for humanity? How do you use your gifts and abilities to make a dent in our broken world?

I know this sounds like a morbid text, but we are living in a world that is so interconnected, what you do effects other people. We change others by the choices we make, the paths we take.

Volunteer, find a place where your gifts and your knowledge can be serving someone else. Find a place there you are needed to make a difference in our world. What legacy do you want to leave behind? What do you want people to remember you by? How do you leave this world a better place?