LISTEN:
“Pops, will you read me this book?”
My 3-year old granddaughter asked me this question yesterday when we were visiting. She handed me a children’s classic, Blueberries for Sal, written by Robert McCloskey. You probably know what my answer was…
I know that one day in the future when my time on this earth is over, I will be judged by those left behind. People who either knew me personally, or maybe followed my work. Ultimately, we are all judged, so we probably should get comfortable with it.
How I plan on being “judged” is on how good of a Pops I was. Everything else is secondary.
The reason is that if I was a good Pops, then I was a good Dad, a good father-in-law, and a good husband. Because for me, being a good Pops transcends the family structure.
Yes, I want to do well in business, in my associations that I belong to and have a passion for, and with the relationships I forge with other family, friends, and business partners. But in the end, if I’m judged as being a good Pops, then I’m good.
And reading my granddaughter a book when she asks means that not only do I do it, but that I’m also present and engaged in that moment.
What do you want to be judged on?
We are all different. We have different family structures; different business ambitions; and different values. However, we should all have a destination.
We should all be striving to reach a zenith where we can be proud of how we will be judged. If we don’t know what that is, how can we know how to set priorities? How would we know how to make the best decisions possible? And how would we measure our quest along the way?
One final thought. There is a danger in setting these life aspirations. It can easily lead to comparing one’s self with others. And social media has exacerbated that problem.
In a recent conversation with a client who courageously admitted that she found that she is comparing herself to her peers, we embarked on the serious topic of disabusing ourselves of that practice.
Don’t ever compare yourself to others. We all are in different stages of life, have had varying experiences and opportunities, and have different purposes. To compare yourself to others is folly and will ultimately derail your own goals towards what you want to be judged on.
So find your own destination and be okay with it. Then go be present in the pursuit of it and the trickledown effect will lead to successes in all your other ventures in life. That way, you’ll be ready to answer the question you are posed by someone who is important to you.
“Yes, of course…”
Quote of the Week:
“It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.”
~ Alfred North Whitehead, 20th century English mathematician and philosopher
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