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This morning I was reading in the Bible and the following verse caused me to ponder about life.  This verse is in James 4:14:

…For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

As I read this verse in the Bible, I thought about Jacob in the Book of Mormon when he wrote at the end of his life in Jacob 7:26:

…the time passed away with us and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream…

As I reflected on life and the meaning of life, I also thought about a recent professor from Carnegie Melon who has been giving lectures recently called “The Last Lecture.”  He has been diagnosed with cancer and has 3 – 6 months to live.  He was recently interviewed on Good Morning America.  The interview is included below:

For his full presentation that he gives, you can watch it here:

As he states and as James and Jacob state in the scriptures, life goes by quickly.  As seen in the video, he talks a lot about achieving our dreams and our goals.  If you notice, he focuses a lot on helping others.  Let’s take some time today and reflect on our dreams and how we would treat those around us and act as if today is the last day. 

One excersize I’ve seen before is to write down the things that you would want to be known for after you are gone and strive each day to reach that goal.  Here’s an example:

I want to be known for loving God, loving and respecting others including my family, friends, and all people.  I want to be known as someone who was honest in business and respectful towards people of all races, religion, and nationalities.  I would like to be known as someone who didn’t give up on a good cause and who perservered through adversity.  Someone who smiled and laughed often and who made others feel comfortable and at ease.  I would like to be known as someone who inspired others through the things I read, talked about, and did.  At the end of my days, I’d like to enter in the kingdom of the Lord as he says “well done, thou good and faithful servant….”

Try writing one for yourself.  It’s a good experience.  After you write it, take time to think about it often.