Choir Notes

The Ultimate Test:
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered by: Lloyd D. Newell . Program 4129

Warren Buffet is one of the world's richest men, but he doesn't measure success by how much money he has accumulated. Now in his late 70s, Buffet lives frugally considering his great wealth and haspledged to give most of his fortune to charity. He seeks no buildings or monuments to his name. He has said:

" I know people who have a lot of money, and they get testimonial dinners and hospital wings named after them. But the truth is that nobody in the world loves them. When you get to my age, you'll measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you. That's the ultimate test of how you've lived your life."1

Of course, we want to live in the present, but ood can also come from looking ahead - for each of us, the day will come when we leave loved ones behind with only thoughts and feelings, memories of our lives. What will others think and feel when our time comes? What will be our legacy? Most of us will never have a wing of the hospital bear our name, but no matter our worldly wealth, we will have loved ones who carry our name in their heart. As Warren Buffet said, that's the ultimate test of a life well lived.

We know that no one takes any money or possessions with them hereafter, and so they don't deserve undue focus in the here-and-now. Instead, we can strive to nutrture loving relationships, strengthen family bonds, and focus our attention and priorities on the things that really matter. As we do, we come closer to passing hte ultimate test.

1 Alice Schroeder, "10 Ways to Get rich," Parade, Sept. 7, 2008, http://www.parade.come/hot-topics/0809/ 10-ways-to-get-rich.