ETERNITY

It is only what is written upon the soul of man that will survive the wreck of time.

—Francis Grimké

There is nothing wrong with wanting to live comfortable lives, to provide the best for our families and give our children more options than we had. Yes, money helps. It smooths the way and allows us to live with far fewer worries and stresses.

But ask this: When we die, how will they pay tribute to us? Will they say we bought a new car every year, that we consumed no wine under fifty dollars a bottle? Hardly. They will tabulate our kindness and contributions, praise our generosity and our concern and consideration for others. It is, after all, what is in our souls—not our checkbooks—that people remember.

Call to Action: On this day, I will take five minutes to write down five positive character traits in myself—traits that have nothing to do with the distribution of money or generosity with material things.