I enjoy a good funeral; pause and think about it. In funerals, you get to see human nature at its best display of empathy. You also get a glimpse into the life of a person, or at least into whatever people paint his or her life to have been. The most intriguing thing to me though, is how no one ever says anything bad about the deceased. No one! And for those who clearly had a rough ride with the dead, English never fails to supply words with which to paint such a ride as anything but bad. It really is amazing.
My favorite part of funerals or death in general is the effect it has on the living. The dawning of the reality that the corpse could as well have been us is probably the most eye-opening truth ever. This however, doesn’t end there, the resolutions and self-reflections start and the most famous question ever asked after death comes up; “what would people remember you for.” Personally, this was the most ridiculous thing ever. I always told myself that a few fake tear-drops and an epistle laced with artifice were good enough for me, after all I wouldn’t be there to care.
But this didn’t stop me from having the 30-minute drive down reminiscence or the regret of unachieved but achievable goals. Social media wasn’t any better, the motivational speeches and the sympathy towards the dead were all so gloomy and dark, brightened by the ever-green sermon of making an impact and leaving a legacy. Recently though I’ve been thinking; Maybe there is a different and better perspective through which the adage “What would people remember you for” can be looked at and I have come to realize that the focus is all misplaced as “people” in this sense should not be the motivation.
We really shouldn’t want to live our lives thinking of what people would remember us for when we are not even sure we will know half the people at our burials. Rather, why not live our lives thinking of what we want to remember ourselves for and in the process impact our environment? When I look back, I want to be proud of what I see and be able to pat my head on a job well done. I’m not saying to throw away people’s opinions into the trash, all I’m saying is, instead of using people’s afterthoughts of you as the yardstick of how you live your life, why not use a yardstick that dictates exactly the kind of life you would look back on and smile. Above all, if you are like me and you believe in God, of which I see no reason why you shouldn’t, then you would know that the real drive should be the joy and sense of fulfilment you would get when you return your 5 talents and proudly present 5 more just to hear the words “well done good and faithful servant, enter into your rest.” Wise up guys! People will remember what they will remember, adjust your lenses and redirect your focus. You determine what you want to remember yourself for. In the words of Chadwick Boseman, “You should be the hero in your own story…”
Hey family! I know, I know, it’s a pretty long read but hey it was totally worth it wasn’t it?. Don’t forget to drop your two cents in the comment section below or reach out to us right here-https://www.justhummingbird.com/contact-me/.
Also, kindly check out our Services right here- https://services.justhummingbird.com/.
Have a lovely rest of the day and week.