You Will Be Forgotten... And That's OK

I had some time to kill today, so I decided to hunt around on the wonderful blog list to find some insightful posts. Lucky for me, I found M's post. She describes what it means to think and how our thoughts are often jumbled and not clear. I completely agree with this concept, and I often find myself thinking in fragments and jumping from one topic to another.

I had one of these sporadic thinking episodes today. I culled up a memory from way back in freshman year. I was asked to write what my biggest goal was in life on a wall. After some thought, I took the stick of chalk and pressed it to the wall. Much as everyone does,  I wanted to be remembered and well thought of after I was long gone (aka dead). I felt that if I did a certain amount of good in the world, my name would go down in the history books. Maybe they would even build a monument of me!

Looking back on this thought, I realize how frivolous it is. Although noble, it isn't an attainable goal. It is impossible (and somewhat vain) for me to think that I can get the story of my life into each and every person's mind in the world. Don't get me wrong, I still hope do a lot of good in the world and I hope to see that it makes a positive difference, but I can't expect that someone will remember me for it. When it comes down to it, would you rather have someone remember you for your good deeds or pay it forward and help others that need it? I think the answer is an easy one.

On a side note, Hank Green talk at great length on this subject. He really sinks his teeth into this topic, and I find him to be not only correct, but very entertaining. You can see the video below.

Now, off to find a new life goal...

Happy? Yeah, that's a good one.