Leo Wild Illuminates "What Will Matter"

"What will Matter"

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant. 

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? 

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.

It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters. 

Author: Michael Josephson















I think the author, Michael Josephson, wanted to bring out the meaning of life and to show what people should live for. He mentions that gender, skin color, wealth, or fame will not matter once life is over. What will matter is the impressions people get from you. It is one thing to know a bunch of people but to make someone feel a long-lasting loss when your gone is something truly special. It doesn't matter if you have nice cars or a big house but if you show courage, integrity, and compassion, it leaves a remark of remembrance that people will always remember you for. Josephson says that a life that matters does not come by luck but you have to choose that life-style. I think the message of this poem is to choose a life that matters so you can leave a positive impression for everyone.