What Will You Leave Behind?

[Guest guest]

What Will You Leave Behind?I love the story of the man in his 70s who was setting out fruit trees at his summer home. A friendly neighbor jokingly asked him whether he expected to live long enough to gather the fruit. The industrious planter said, "Possibly or possibly not. "But," he said, "even if I never pick any of the fruit from these trees, someday someone will, so the benefits will be substantial."Probably every person older than 16 has read from time to time what happens to people when they retire. Oftentimes, if they do not have new objectives in life, they grow stale, wither and die much earlier than they would have died had they remained busy. The man with the fruit trees was doing something he could be proud of. He could watch those trees grow and anticipate the enjoyment that someone, perhaps even he, would receive. Regardless of whether he benefited or not, the anticipation of someone else benefiting was sufficient for him.Message: There can be just as much, perhaps more, pleasure in planting those trees as there is in harvesting the fruit. People who leave nothing have feelings of regret. It's true that you really can have everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want. You get what you want -- the satisfaction of leaving something beautiful behind. Those who come later will get the benefit of the delicious fruit. Both of you will win.One of the paradoxes of life is the fact that ultimately all you will be able to keep are those things you sent ahead or left behind. Take this approach, and I will see you at the top!From Zig Ziglar