Friday; March 13


          When the topic of the most memorable United States Presidents comes up, William McKinley rarely comes to mind.  Honestly, unless someone is a history buff, they may not know much about our 25th president (even though he served a full term and was re-elected for a second term).  Probably the most notable thing about President McKinley was the fact that he was assassinated in the first few months of his second term.  President McKinley was shot by Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901 while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York and died on September 14.  While the president might not be all that memorable (in fact, the tallest mountain in North America that was once named for him has since been renamed Mt. Denali), I came across a quote that got me to thinking.  According to historians, in 1899 the president observed, “That's all a man can hope for during his lifetime - to set an example - and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.”.  In essence, life isn’t about the awards we win or even the accolades we receive in life (or even in death).  The real measure of accomplishment is to live in such a way that people are inspired by who we are and what we do.  It is about leaving a legacy, not accumulating “things”.
          What will people think of us once the final chapter has been written in our lives?  First of all, will they even notice we are gone?  Will they even miss us?  If we live our lives with purpose, we have the potential to outlive our bodies through our legacy.  Sure, we might be able to make our survivors’ lives easier if we leave them material things, but the goal of influential people isn’t to make life simpler with stuff, it is to make life better through influence.
Think About It!

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