I know this may come off sounding a bit depressing. But I find myself thinking about death more these days. Not as some morbid preoccupation. But more along the lines of my place in the world and what I want to do with my life before I move on to my next adventure.

Human beings have short memories. 9/11 happens and we’re all united. A month goes by and we’re back to fighting with our neighbors. An earthquake shakes Haiti to the core, mobilizing thousands of rescue workers and hundreds of millions of dollars. And soon we’ll move on to following the health care debate or 2010 congressional elections and Haiti will be a distant memory.

So what’s my point?

When we leave this earth for parts unknown, our friends and relatives will grieve. There’ll be obituaries, burials, memorials, and glowing tributes from people who cared deeply about us while we were horizontal. But in the end, the memories will fade and the tributes will become less frequent. People will get caught up in their daily lives once again. And life, as it always does, will go on.

So where does that leave us?

With the opportunity to create, to love, to feel joy, and to share. With the chance to pursue our unique purpose for being on this planet. With precious moments to do all that we believe in our heart we were meant to do. So that when we move on, we’ll hear the wind whisper, “Well done.”

We have the opportunity right now, to leave our foot-print. To live meaning-fully. Words come and go. A life well-lived, lives on.