What would you like to be remembered for?

A friend and I were talking about how there is so much stress and toxiciy in different work environments. Also about how many people do not know how to set limits to when work should be done. It almost seems like long hours = productivity. I do not agree with this as I do not take for granted the role that rest and self care play in the human body. My approach is, if people are paid to work for a certain number of hours, they should pack in as much as they possibly can within those hours instead of spending unnecessarily long hours struggling.

Our generation is so focused on making money and sometimes we forget to live or make the best of what we have been gifted with. We work crazy hours and there are so many health issues. I always wonder how our parents did it. They were not as stressed as we are and they didn't seem to work as hard as we do. Well, if they did, they masked all their stress pretty well and I have so much respect for them.

The thing is people die and the world, life continues...which could be painful. I think of it that if I drop dead today, I would be replaced at work tomorrow. So I am mindful of how I live and I try to enjoy the time I have here on earth.

We lost Aretha Franklin and Kofi Annan just days apart. 

As the news of Kofin Annan's death broke, one of the reporters asked someone who knew Kofi personally what he thought Mr. Annan would like to be remembered for...The man said he thought "Kofi would like to be remembered as that African boy who didn't forget his people". 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said, "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations". 

Kofi Annan

"To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there." - Kofi Annan, April 8 1938 - August 18 2018.

 

Aretha was popularly known as the Queen of Soul. Her voice held people spell bound. She could bring any roof down with her singing. That voice of hers led her to be the first female to be inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, many other honours followed.

President Obama stated that "Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock and roll—the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope".

 

Aretha Frankling doing what she does best

"Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I'm using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I'm happy with that." - Aretha Franklin, March 25 1942 - August 16 2018. 

These statements people who knew them made are profound and it got me asking myself what I would like to be remembered for, and how I would like to be remembered. These two took their work to the level where they will always be remembered for it.

I pay my deep respect to these icons we have lost. We were blessed to have them share who they were with the world. Koffi Annan was a fine diplomat, a man with a true humanitarian spirit and I have a lot of respect for. Aretha Franklin was that singer singers looked to for inspiration. She stood bold and strong.

May their souls rest in peace and may we all be reminded to be our best and live our best lives always.