Four Essential Components to Life
After 82 years of life experience, I have discovered there are some things that are important if we are to have a meaningful life experience. To write all that I have learned through my failures and successes would be more than you might want to read. However, there are four priorities that I would like to leave with you.
- Achievement — goals that have been successfully reached. We have probably all heard the statement, “If you aim at nothing you will be sure to hit it.” It is important that we recognize that achievement is to be measured by the small steps that we take. A person was seeking help to break the habit of smoking. The doctor who had referred the person had explained both the health and financial benefits that stopping would bring. The first goal was to go for a month without smoking. In one week, he was back depressed over the fact that he fell short of his goal. I reminded him that he had achieved a milestone — he went a week without smoking. I encouraged him to celebrate his success and start again. We went through this process several times before he finally “kicked” the habit. Small achievements are important but often overlooked. Faithfulness in “keeping your hand on the plough” in the routine of life is a significant achievement. Faithfulness in the little things adds up to much.
- Significance — my part is important for the success of the whole. Significance and fame are opposites. You may not be considered the most valuable player on the team, but the team needs each member doing its part to be successful. Ultimately, significance is investing in others for their future. While running through an olive grove in Morocco, I met a young man who was the owner. He told me that his grandfather had planted the olive grove to give to him. The grandfather knew that he would not reap the benefits of his labor, but he planted it for his grandson. The grandfather did something significant – he invested in the future success of his grandson.
- Legacy — the value of what we transfer to the next generation. History is the record of events. Legacy is the value we derive from those events. When we think of legacy, we often attach monetary value to the word — land, cash, valuable art, and other physical assets. The cash value of the estate is not the real legacy. There are two eternal elements at the heart of legacy: a.) The values that govern a person’s life. Marva and I received a rich inheritance from our parents. They valued people over profit. They valued faith over doubt and skepticism. They valued family and community over individualism and self-fulfillment. b.) Character that was manifest in daily life choices. They demonstrated loyalty, faithfulness, care for others, excellence, and many other qualities. We are the richer because of the choices they made and the character they emulated.
- Happiness — a benefit we derive from the choices we make. We want all honey and no bees. No storms and smooth seas. A life of pleasure filled with ease. Everyone wants to live on the top of the mountain, but we forget that all the happiness and growth occurs while we are climbing it. When you harbour harshness and bitterness, happiness will dock somewhere else. You suffer a great loss and happiness seems to evaporate. I did not choose to have my wife die but I can choose what I do about it. I need to look past the loss and see the benefit that may be derived from it. Seeing the benefit brings happiness into the sorrow. When I apply myself wholeheartedly to whatever my hand finds to do, I discover that the outcome of that brings an emotional response of happiness.
These are four priorities that this great grandfather thinks are essential for life. And don’t forget, love, not time, heals all wounds and keep your words soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them. Keep climbing, and I’ll see you at the top.
Duane Harder
