Your ‘Life Sentence’
Eventually your life will be summarised in a single sentence. What will your ‘life sentence’ be? If you live intentionally, people at your funeral won’t be left to wonder. Will you get it all exactly right? No. But, ‘Good people live right, and God blesses the children who follow their example.’ Your life is your greatest legacy, and you’ve only got one, so make it count. Leave a legacy of excellence. In his book Leadership Gold, John Maxwell has a chapter entitled, ‘Don’t Send Your Ducks To Eagle School’. In it he writes, ‘Ducks are not supposed to be eagles—nor do they want to be... Who they are is who they should be. Ducks have their own strengths...’ That’s where they excel. Leave a legacy of encouragement. It’s said, ‘Some cause happiness wherever they go; others cause happiness whenever they leave.’ Are you the kind of person someone will call 10 or 20 years from now and say, ‘Thanks, I couldn’t have made it without you’? Leave a legacy of purpose. We’re most energised when we’re investing our strengths and talents into a God-given purpose. So make your life about something bigger than yourself. You won’t live forever, but you can live on through the impact you make now. Leave a legacy of love. Jon Gordon says, ‘My mum… passed away a few years ago… I don’t recall her faults and mistakes or the disagreements we had. After all, who’s perfect? What I remember…was her love. She gave me a legacy of love that’ll embrace generations to come.’