You may remember the movie Dead Poet’s Society, starring the late, great Robin Williams. Williams played English teacher John Keating, and in perhaps the most famous scene, Keating makes an impassioned plea to his class. As he asks the prep school boys to look at a worn, black-and-white photo of men who died many years before them, he says these words:
They’re not that different from you, are they? They believe they’re destined for great things… just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you… Carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”
A few years ago, a close friend received the horrifying news that his cancer was too aggressive, and that his days were numbered. My friend, who was also a father of two young children, passed away shortly afterwards at only 40 years old. He knew his days were limited, but they were even fewer than he had been told.
All our days are limited, but too many of us need a medical diagnosis to accept that reality. You can learn to live with a sense of destiny and purpose. That way, whether the end is soon or a decade away, you’ll be ready. Live by taking action now.
As Keating said to his class, Carpe Diem. Seize the day.
Wealth is more than money. Don’t just plan for your future, live it right now. Pass it on and share the insights like this that you find valuable.
Find out about the latest advantages of voluntary philanthropy at our next special briefing.
-Walt Disney