"One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much was in my bank....but the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child." - Forest Whitcraft
Last week, one of our patients lost his father. Knowing this gentleman, not just as a patient, but also from my golf club, he is the kind of person who has very good character and values - a family guy. So when I heard the news, I knew his Dad must have been a great guy. I imagined the family and friends pouring in and showing their admiration for the life he lived and the respect of someone who did it the right way.
It reminded me of a speech I had heard years ago in Chiropractic college called, "The Three Boxes". It went something like this - "It doesn't matter how successful you become in life. It doesn't matter how many material possessions you acquire in your lifetime, or how much money you have in the bank when you die. All people, rich and poor, can be reduced down to three boxes after they pass away:
The first box is the box for your body. Whether it's a coffin or urn, your physical body is reduced to a box.
The second box is the box that goes to Goodwill or a similar charitable organization. Most of your material possessions - the clothes you had, car you drove, flat screen TV, etc.- end up getting sold or donated to people more needy. Most of your material possessions have little emotional meaning to the people who care most about you....
The third, and final box, is the box filled with memories that your loved ones fill with pictures, special keepsakes and the little things that bring back the strongest emotional memories. Your goal in living a successful life is to make the third and final box count. Filling the third box with SIGNIFICANT memories throughout your life is what will make the biggest impact on the people that care about you the most. Following your passions will fill up your final box with a lifetime of meaningful memories which will inspire people to CELEBRATE your life by carrying on some of you where ever they go."
"Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Kiss slowly, forgive quickly, play hard, take chances, give everything and have no regrets. Life is too short to be anything but happy!" - Anonymous
Watching your back,
Dr. Brad
