They were the unlikeliest of friends. Scott came to college thinking that the world owed him. He thought himself destined for greatness and maintained an aloofness to others. Barry, on the other hand, saw the value in others as “trading partners”. He was someone who enjoyed helping others if they were open and able to reciprocate. His favorite saying was “You owe me one”. Jim, the third in the trio, was the most giving. He enjoyed supporting others, even when they had nothing to help or give him in return.
While they enjoyed their time together in college, they were destined to lead very different lives. Scott became fabulously wealthy as a business leader. He was known to be tough-minded and ruthless, traits that began to emerge in college. He was also known for his luxurious lifestyle.
Barry became one of the nation’s most successful politicians. As a senior Senator, he was often called upon by the White House to broker deals. It was said that Barry had his own intelligence network that he could call upon to “exert leverage” to bring forth votes when needed.
Jim had seemingly disappeared after graduation. Little was known about his career. He certainly didn’t have the fame of all his two friends from college. While Jim’s life was invisible to his more famous classmates, he was revered by those who he had helped at a critical time in their lives.
Imagine these three friends as they approach the final days of their lives. How might Scott view his life? Does he still take joy in his accumulated wealth? Is he still proud of his often-quoted mantra of “I did that”? How will he be remembered after he’s gone, and his power to control that image is no longer?
What about Barry? How might he view his life? Will he still be proud of the bills he helped to enact? Or will he regret what he did to pass those bills? Will he think fondly of structures having his name, or will he think of them as just a collection of false tributes?
Finally, what about Jim? How will he view his life? There are few possessions or structures bearing his name to think about. On the other hand, his last thoughts are on the lives he has impacted. And of the additional lives that they affected as they paid forward Jim’s support.
One of the worst aspects of our current society is that we are constantly asking who benefits from an action being proposed. Scott and Barry approached their lives by asking this question. Certainly, there were benefits from their actions, but these were external. And over time, those benefits fade away. The lasting benefit from any action we are about to undertake comes from inside us. How did that action add purpose to our lives and the lives of others? We don’t need to justify our actions to anyone other than our conscience.
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“Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to others.”-Buddha