The lying preacher.

You know, I don't go to many funerals. They are generally sad events, as can be expected. People are saying good-bye to loved ones and friends. Often eulogies are delivered and nice things are said about the departed one. 

Every time, I'm confronted by this question: What will people say about me?

I recently heard, though I can't remember where, this quote: "Live life so the preacher won't have to lie at your funeral".

So often we bounce through life giving no consideration to what impact we are having. Why is that?

Why do we sometimes find it so difficult to focus on what we will leave behind. 

What legacy are we leaving in our workplace, in our family and with our friends?

Why do we so often consider only the here and now?

When we're young, the excuse is that we have plenty of time for that big picture stuff later in life. How often do we wake up and find that life has passed us by and we've still given no attention to anything but ourselves.

We must make an extreme effort to change this thought pattern. 

We must seek to leave this world a better place when we go, than it was when we arrived.

Helping others is probably one of the best ways to leave a positive legacy. Sometimes helping another person can be as easy as a simple smile or "hello". 

It's not hard. Make an effort to try it. 

Give someone an unsolicited compliment. Say hello to a stranger. Smile.

So, let's not make the preacher lie at our funeral. Life life so he can speak the truth, at least he'll be a happier person for it.