The famous speaker, Les Brown, used to talk about facing
ghosts on your deathbed. He would ask his audience to imagine the ghosts “of
the ideas, the dreams, the abilities, the talents given to you by life” – potential
that was never acted on – coming to them as they prepared to exit this life,
demanding an explanation as to why they (the ghosts) were never allowed into
existence. Describing the ghosts he says, “And there they are standing around
your bed looking at you with large angry eyes, saying, 'we came to you, and only
you could have given us life! Now we must die with you forever.'”
Les goes on to detail the scene a bit more and it culminates with a question, “If you die today, what ideas, what dreams, what abilities,
what talents, what gifts, would die with you?” An amazing question to ponder!
Introspectively consider that question but then imagine
another scene. Instead of the “ghosts” of forgone possibilities, what if it was loved
ones you had to answer to on your deathbed? What if you faced people from your
life, people you cared about deeply, and you were forced to explain to them you
held back and didn’t pour into them the way you could have? What if it was your
own kids and you must look them in the eye and admit to them there was much
more of you to give but you held back, that they never got the best from you?
Imagine, after you pass, standing in front of your Creator
and trying to answer for all the talents and abilities you left unused, buried
in the ground beside you – gifts designed for you to share with others that the
world never got a chance to see. That is a haunting scene indeed, far more than
facing any ghost. So once more, I ask you to contemplate the question, “If you
die today, what ideas, what dreams, what abilities, what talents, what gifts,
would die with you?”
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