If You Can't Take it With You ...

I am a tad bit competitive and have been that way since I can remember. I still recall basketball, baseball and football games from my youth in which we narrowly lost, leaving me with a tremendous feeling of both guilt and frustration. Haunted by the thoughts of “what if I had just pushed a little harder,” the what-could-have-beens bothered me to no end.

At a commencement speech for a class of graduating college students, Denzel Washington reminded the graduates, “You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse,” painting an impactful illustration of the “you can’t take it with you” concept. He encouraged those young men and women to strive, above all else, to make a difference in the lives of those around them because that is a legacy that remains.

As I listened to his marvelous speech, I was reminded of those heart-breaking losses as a young athlete, and I think what he was saying is connected to what I felt after those games. The phrase we often hear regarding a big contest, “leave it all on the field,” also applies to life itself. If we can’t take it with us, the only logical alternative is to give it all we have here on earth and leave a legacy in the lives of those who remain after us. The stakes are much higher than any sporting event, so in life, we must leave it all on the field.

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