ASK THE COACH
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Character Key to Choosing Life That Matters
By Dr. Ray Angelini
The Saratogian
February 20, 2007
The issue of character, or lack of it, has been very prominent in the news lately. Recently, I was sent apiece that touched me very deeply. The author is Michael Josephson, and I believe he speaks to the heart of many in terms of what it means to live a life of strong character, deep meaning, and amazing integrity.
What Will Matter?
Ready or not,
Someday it will all
Come to an end.
There will be no
More surprises
No minutes, hours
Or days
All the things you collected
Whether treasured or forgotten
Will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, Fame, or Power
Will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned
Or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations
And jealous will finally disappear.
So too your hopes, ambitions, plans,
Your "To-do List" will expire.
The wins and losses
That once seemed so important
Will fade away.
It won't matter where you come from
Or on what side of the tracks you lived.
At the end
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not that you bought,
But what you built.
Not what you got
But what you gave.
What will matter is not your success
But your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned
But what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity,
Compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched
Empowered, or encouraged others
To emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence
But your character.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that Matters.
