“Ask not what your country can do for you. Instead, ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
“Heal the world and make it a better it a better place. For you and for me and the entire human race. If you care enough for the living, make the world a better place.” – Michael Jackson
Sometime ago, i was reading an interview granted to a journalist by Aliko Dangote, the once richest black man on earth. Towards the end of the interview, he was asked; “what do you want to be remembered for when you die? In reply, he answered “I want to be remembered as Africa’s greatest industrialist.”
Dangote’s answer hit me like a thunderbolt. For many nights, i lay on my bed and thought about his answer. I have set both short term and long term goals but i haven’t given a thought to what i want to be remembered for after i exit this world.
It shocked me to realize that while i was planning 10 – 20 years ahead, great men are already thinking about their future generation, a generation they will never meet. For many weeks i kept asking myself this same question; “what will i be remembered for after i bow to the cold hands of death? What will be said of me after i leave this world?
Finally, i found my answer to this question and set the goal of what is to be achieved. Now i don’t know if i am going to hit the goal but i am definitely going to strive towards its actualization. If i make it, i will die fulfilled.
Please i am not writing this to tell you how good i am in setting goals. I am writing to challenge your goals. I am writing to throw you the question that changed my thinking and challenged my belief. At this point, i want you to take a look at the question “what do you want to be remembered for after you exit this world? Close your eyes and reflect on it. If it touches you, then know that you have a call. A higher calling. I am not talking about fame; i am talking about making a name higher than life.
Most people avoid discussing issues concerning death but the truth is we can’t run away from it. It is definitely a path we must pass through. Just imagine yourself in death; what do you want to be said about you? What will your name stand for in the mind of different people? How many lives will you touch during your life time and how many more will you touch after your death?
Please this question is not for everybody, it’s for those with a higher calling, a call higher than life. It’s for those with a strong mission, a mission stronger than death. Even in death, Michael Jackson will continue to fight racism through his songs. Think of Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and J. Paul. Getty, these men are long dead but their name will continue to do good and better the lives of humanity. Even after the death of Bill Gates, his name will continue to serve humanity.
I am not saying you should compete with these great men. All i am saying is you should discover your purpose on earth. A purpose that lies deep down your heart. If you can find your own answer to these questions and discover your purpose, a new world will open to you, a world few people will ever see.
