What if Your Life Wasn't Just About You?

Today is the 7th anniversary of my Heart and Double-Lung Transplant. This day is always one of mixed emotions. There is great joy and appreciation for the gift of life and a second chance. There have been so many blessings and beautiful experiences that I've been able to have in the past seven years thanks to that gift.

Along with all of those emotions come this set of questions that I ask myself every so often. Questions like: How am I doing? Am I making good use of the gift I've been given? Is the way I live my life honoring the life lived by my donor?

I suspect I'll never feel 100% sure that I've done a good enough job, but that doesn't change the fact that I think the question is still worth asking. And today I challenge you to ask it of yourself too. In fact, you don't have to be a transplant recipient to gain the perspective that I think we should all look at our lives with; "if you were living for two instead of just for yourself, would you do anything differently? What if your life isn't just about you?"

The more life experience I gain, the more I come to realize that my life isn't just about me. My decisions affect many others; my mood impacts the mood of my family and friends, my decision to give or not to give, of myself, adds or takes away from the lives of others. In short, we're all connected in this world and what you do today, will impact the lives of others tomorrow. In fact, in some cases, an action you take today, could impact THE WORLD a day, a month or even a century later. It isn't a stretch to think that the actions of a little black woman on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 played a role in the election of young black man to the highest office in the United States more than 50 years later.

I don't suspect Parks ever dreamed that when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger, she would spark a movement that would bring another young black minister to the forefront of racial politics and lead to a movement that would eventually create a better life for millions of black Americans, but it did.

So what is your life about? What will your legacy be?

Please don't misunderstand me. Don't feel pressured by these questions or feel like somehow if you aren't transforming history that your life doesn't matter. We ALL matter. I believe a creator willed us all into existence, and that in and of itself, means we all matter A LOT, and grand gestures and world-changing events are not the only ways to make a difference in the world. A child well-raised, a business created, an elderly parent cared for or a charity supported, are all examples of good uses of one's life. One need not be Dr. King or Mother Theresa to make a difference.

So, if your life isn't just about you, what IS it about? I'm no expert. I'm not a philosopher, religious leader or spiritual guru. I don't have the complete answer but I know this: if you do your best each day to make a positive difference in the life of someone else, you can't go wrong!