“Diplomas and degrees are not emblems
of entitlement; they are licenses to learn.” – James M. Strock
Recently I was asked to interact and
inspire students who were joining in management education in a business school.
I thought that it was a great opportunity to share my ideas and insights to
inspire students. I shared couple of stories on attitude, personality and
success. I asked them to write obituary. It sounded very strange to them.
James M. Strock in his award-winning
book, Serve to Lead: Your
Transformational 21st Century Leadership System outlines the importance of
writing obituary. Writing obituary helps you identify what is close to your
heart and what difference do you want to make to the world. It helps you
prioritize your tasks and manage your time. It helps you lead your life with
purpose and meaning.
James Strock says, “Prepare to live
more purposefully by drafting your own obituary. What would you like to say?
What would you like others to remember about you and your life? What is your
legacy? Draft a realistic piece-but aim for your highest goals, your ultimate
concerns. You may find inspiration in reading well-crafted obituaries of
memorable lives.” He adds, “As you draft yours, strive for a longer view, an
outsider’s perspective. Your obituary is, most importantly, a history of the
relationships of your life. You may want to share your draft with trusted
friends of and others who can add their points of view. In the end, others will
have the last word.”
Mark Twain had the experience of
reading his own, premature obituary who famously responded, “The reports of my
death are greatly exaggerated.” Ernest Hemingway read his own inadvertently
accelerated obituaries. He is said to have carried them around, reviewing them
constantly. Perhaps he found them useful in clarifying his priorities. In the
normal course of things, most of us cannot expect to read our own obituaries.
Nonetheless you may have moments when you sense the warm breath of death
brushing the nape of your neck. Perhaps your imagination is stirred by the loss
of others, a troubling medical diagnosis, or a rising awareness of the
transience, the inescapable, apparent randomness and contingency of so much of
life. Hence, draft a single sentence that you like to share it with others and
how you would like to be remembered for. It helps you prioritize your tasks and
aligns your energies accordingly to accomplish your lifetime goals.
Finally I concluded with the following
message to students: Time is a precious
commodity. Whether rich or poor, all are blessed with this precious resource.
Hence, you must learn to utilize your time effectively. You must know how to
prioritize your activities to make your life truly meaningful. Remember, the
biggest gift you can give to anybody is your time.
The seconds will pass, the minutes
will pass, the hours will pass, the days will pass, the weeks will pass, the months
will pass, and the years will pass. It is time to act now. If you don’t act
now, time will pass anyway. Therefore, Act
now. Remember, it is now or never!
“I wake up every morning at nine and
grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not
on it, I get up.” - Benjamin Franklin
References
Serve to Lead: Your Transformational
21st Century Leadership System by James M. Strock (Serve to Lead Press, August
24, 2010)
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