It’s the holiday season and it feels like we are bombarded, even more than normal, on Social Media and advertisements with the importance of material, superficial things and competition of who has more. There is certainly nothing wrong with striving for success and having nice stuff, but I agree with the familiar saying, “The best things in life aren’t things.”
I remind myself of this by thinking of the few times I have been present with people who are preparing to leave this earth. It was clear in those precious final days and hours, that their fulfillment didn’t come from what their job title was, or if they had fancy cars, clothes, jewelry, homes and designer labels.
Instead, their reflections about what is important revolved around:
LOVE – for the people they cherished and their shared memories.
GRATITUDE – for the gift of being given children to raise or to have been a positive influence in any child’s life.
GRACE – for the times they were able to be a listening ear, wipe a tear, or hold the hand of someone in need.
HUMILTY – for doing the best they could with what they had, and the opportunity to make amends for the times they may have failed.
It seems the key to remain grounded in our minds about what is actually meaningful in life is to stay in our hearts. The best things in life don’t exist on the outside; they are held within our hearts and those whose lives we’ve touched.