What Is A Life Well-Lived

A life well-lived is a statement often made at a memorial service, in a eulogy, or in an obituary. Did you ever wonder what a life well-lived means? Why should we concern ourselves with it? Because it could be seen also as a road sign to guide us while we are alive and have time to adjust our direction.

The cue “a life well-lived” conjures various images. You may imagine yourself nude on a beach surrounded by sexy members of the opposite sex. You may imagine massive wealth and all your dreams fulfilled. But is that what’s honored at the end of life or something else?

We admire a good character and contribution the most.

Think about the character traits you admire in others. A character starts with the values you were taught – or have chosen for yourself – but ultimately depends on how true you are to your values and what your priorities are. A good character is comprised of these three elements.

Talking about contribution, you were born into an existing civilization complete with science, technology, culture, history, and socioeconomic systems created by generations of people who came before you. They didn’t know you. And yet, their contributions shaped the civilization into which you were born. They gave you advantages you otherwise wouldn’t have. Bottom line: we live the way we do because of contributions made by others.

• You owe society for the civilization you’re a part of and have to contribute to it.

• You owe humanity for the empathy and support you received and have to be empathetic and supportive of others.

• You owe the Earth for supplying life’s essentials. Each of us has to become more environment-conscious, sustainable, and actively engaged in conservation and restoration efforts.

If you are familiar with debt, debt repayment isn’t a goodwill gesture; it’s mandatory. You have to repay the principal with interest.

Since – in a way – we are all born indebted to previous generations, it is expected that we pay this debt forward to those still to come. By definition, a life well-lived is a life that left a legacy of benefit to future generations. Not an inheritance for your relatives but an impact on a larger scale.

What changed for the better because you live?

Think about your impact now. Life is a little more than time and energy. Life becomes precious – or wasted – based on how time and energy are used. Your time and energy are valuable. You get to choose how to spend them. Invest them wisely.

Is our civilization perfect? No. To arrive at the current stage of development, our predecessors sacrificed the ecosystem. Consequently, for us to contribute to civilization, we have to change its direction: scale down predatory “development”, scale down consumerism, make all necessary changes to stop further carbon emissions, and gradually restore our natural environment.

In other words, contributing to the collective good today is more challenging and humbling than it used to be. Still, this is what life well-lived is: the individual contribution to humanity at large.

So, it isn’t about the nude beach or accumulation of wealth after all.

Doing good for yourself won’t outlive you.

Being good to your loved ones and friends has a limited impact and won’t be remembered forever.

Contributing to the community on any level makes a difference, has a lasting impact, and makes for a life well-lived. The sum of contributions made throughout life becomes your legacy.

An individual contribution to science, technology, culture, education, etc. is precious. But so is creating a bee refueling station, adopting a child, saving an abandoned pet, planting a Miyawaki forest, feeding the hungry, fighting for human rights, defending animals, creating a food pantry, or a mini-library.

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” William James

We are alive for as long as we are remembered. Collective memory has the best longevity. Build a life well-lived, now.

What will YOU be remembered for?

 

#WhatIsALifeWellLived #Legacy #GoodCharacter #Contribution #HumanistChurch #HolisticChurch #HumanistHolisticChurch

 

 

If you enjoy the HUMANIST Holistic Church podcast, like, follow, comment, and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube! You’re also welcome to leave a comment, below. (No login required!)