Zen Garden > What Words Will They Chisel Into Your Tombstone?

What would you like to be remembered for? What will be the "crowning glory" of YOUR life. Don't be like poor old Fred Nurk.

What words will they chisel into your tombstone? Oh I know, most people are cremated these days. What I am really saying here is this - when it is all over for you, what will you be remembered for?

What about something like this?

“Here lies Fred Nurk. He was born. He lived. He died.”

Not too impressive is it? You might ask: “What did Fred do all his life? Perhaps somebody in the mourning congregation might say a few words to explain the meaning of Fred’s life.

“Well, Fred never said much coz Fred hated criticism. And he didn’t do much either coz he couldn’t be bothered. He never married either coz he couldn’t make a commitment. He didn’t work either coz he never found anything worth doing. Shucks, I guess poor old Fred never did anything!”

Why is it that some people achieve so much, while others achieve so little?

This reminds me of a story I heard once where a poor man walked up to a very successful business man and asked:

“What is the secret of your success? How do you get so much done?”

The business man replied: “That is the answer.”

The poor man scratched his head to which the business man said: “I see you are having trouble with my answer but you mentioned the answer yourself in your question.”

Again the poor man scratched his head.

The business man said: “I am successful because I get so much done.”

The poor man then asked: “How do you do so much?”

The business man replied: “How do you do so little?”

This sounds like Confucianism. But it shows that sometimes, if we are smart enough to ask the question, we are already in sight of the answer.

The truth is – some people wear out while other people rust out. What would you prefer?

Motivation, education and action will set you on the path of success. Lack of motivation, ignorance and inaction are the traits responsible for the “Fred Nurks” of this world.

Time is moving on. It will wait for nobody. There is no time like the present to start doing something worthwhile.

If you are restless and feel it is time to do something with your life then I recommend some education for you – not necessarily the education you get in a classroom, though that, too, is highly recommended. A good alternative is to take a trip to your local bookstore. Seek out a book called “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill (ISBN: 0-87980-163-8). There are many other similar books that you can select from but this is a very good one. The categories to look under are:

Motivation Self Help Personal Development Success

If you ask the assistant you will get the help you need.

Don’t tiptoe through life like the Fred Nurks of this world. Make the inscription on your tombstone a magnificent one.

Life and success are yours for the taking!

Gary Simpson is a 7th Dan karate master who teaches self defense, motivation, self help and wealth building to students around the world through home study courses. You may reprint this article as you include this author credit and an active link to his web site. Finance - Self Help - Motivation - Self Defense - Personal Growth MotivationSelfEsteem.com