Saturday, May 29, 2010

Writing your own obituary - and living it

First, I want to congratulate my friend Phil Gerbyshak, the  author of 10 Ways to Make IT Great, for today is the last day of the first part of his life...  and the first day of the next adventure.  Phil left his corporate job today in favor of his Make IT Great life that lies ahead.  Wishing you the very best my friend.

On to my obituary.  What a morbid thought, writing your own obituary...  who wants to think of dying and obituaries?  Those were my thoughts as I started reading the first way to Make IT Great.  Phil suggest we all take on inventory of where we really are and compare it to where we want to be by having you write an honest obituary about yourself if the unfortunate happen and today was your last day in this life.  Would you be happy with the story?  Hmmm.  I can say I have had some great moments, but not the life I really hoped for deep inside.  Don't take me wrong or think that if you are part of my life today I am not appreciative of you...  I'm looking at me from the 50,000 foot view, after all, that's how I hope things will look.  That's got to be much better than looking up at me from the devils den.

Phil goes on to suggest you then rewrite your obituary based on the story of your life you had hoped it would be.  That seems fun, mainly because most of it would be a fantasy, and we all know how good fantasy thoughts can be!  Wink-wink.  What a difference between the obituaries.  Night and day.  Reality versus a dream. Go live the fantasy.

If I only apply the concepts Phil teaches, or offers, as the first way to make it great, I'll be a better person; and will have made me a much better.  I'll sure be feeling great.  That one step alone is worth the price of admission.  My recommendation, we all get Phil's book, work hard to do and share the 10, or 11, ways to make IT great, we'll be better for it, and just perhaps, have a lot more fun doing it.

1 comment:

Phil Gerbyshak said...

Thanks for the hearty endorsement Dan. I'd tell you to also think about all the people who's lives you've impacted, and how THEY would think of you.

A kind word is all many need to make their day a little greater, and if you took the time to listen to even 1 person's story, you've made a fantastic impact.

I know you Dan, and I know you HAVE listened to MANY people's stories. HUGE impact!