Let us learn from the best in a time of mourning
This post was written a number of years ago, but feels very applicable during these times. A recent social media post said that “the numbers are becoming names” referring to the fact that the impact of the pandemic is felt all the more close to home for many. Having buried a loving member of our family during the week, our deepest condolences are with you if you find yourself in a similar situation.
It is a good time to reflect on what you’ve learnt from them (and also on what you want others to learn from you as you go about your days).
This spring has been a season of funerals. It’s sad saying goodbye to people you love, sad but inevitable. Individuals that have had a dramatic influence on my life or on those close to me. People that made a success of life — not in the way the world defines it, but in the way that truly matters in the end. Going through these experiences has made me think of success — living a life worth living— and what I learned from their passing on how to achieve this.
Never complain
Just don’t. It doesn’t help. Life owes you nothing. You are not entitled to anything. Whether in good times or in bad times, in good health or dwindling health, when your account is full or gathering dust — complaining will not add any benefit to you or the ones that spend their time with you.
What I’ve learnt in this time of reflection on these great lives, is that it is your responsibility to find a way. Whether you like it or not. Be practical. Find solutions. Overcome challenges. But don’t complain about them. They are a part of life — everybody has them. But only the great ones use them as a platform to shine.
Take pride in what you do
These people spent their lives doing modest jobs. Jobs they lived out as great callings. There was nothing spectacular about what they did, but there definitely was in the way they did it. Excellence has nothing to do with what you spend your time on. You don’t have to do your job being watched and cheered on by millions to achieve excellence. You don’t have to be paid in mountains of gold to take great pride in it.
What you do is irrelevant — why you do it, now that matters. It all comes down to the heart of why you show up. For these inspirations it was all about serving those around them, making the world a little bit better, easier, more comfortable for those they came into contact with. A life of service, done through excellence, is a life well spent.
Your life is not primarily about you
Yes, it is sad saying farewell to wonderful people, knowing that you won’t again have the opportunity to listen to their stories in this life. Reflecting on their lives and the time spent together, you quickly come to realize that their lives were never really about them. They were the ones living it, but they were never the main characters in a way. They never made the plot about them, weren’t looking for the final word, never tried to make it to the front of the line. They were more than comfortable putting others ahead of themselves. More than being comfortable with it, I think that was the goal of life for them. Helping others get ahead, living selflessly, with open hands, showing love, spending time and sharing experience wherever they could.
The take-away
These lives will forever be remembered. They had incredible impact. They looked so very different from what the world tells us to be important. If you are to leave something worthwhile, these are great examples to follow. Let’s learn from them. Don’t complain, take responsibility. Don’t look for shortcuts, they don’t lead anywhere worth going. Give more than you receive, way more. Share your life, your time, your love, your wisdom. Leave nothing in the tank.
One last thing…
Taking these tough times into consideration and with the knowledge that people are under severe pressure, PurposeWorks has developed a series of workshops aimed at building resilience, enhancing emotional intelligence, managing and dealing with burnout and focusing on the importance of selfcare. Our aim is to provide practical, actionable advice, informed by the science of Positive Psychology in an accessible and affordable format.
These workshops are aimed at individuals, teams and organisations. Please contact us at hello@purposeworks.co.za for more information on scheduling and pricing options.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
