Two hundred words of goodness spew from Seth Godin everyday. How someone could be so brilliant everyday is beyond me; but I'm grateful for his insight, intellectualism, and information. In a recent article he stated many people are being brainwashed into being average. Moved yet immobilized at the same time, I thought of Clare Booth Luce, the playwright, journalist, and Republican Member of Congress. In 1962, Luce met with President Kennedy, who was, at the time, pursuing an ambitious agenda domestically and overseas. She worried about his thinly spread priorities. A great man, she advised him, is one sentence. President Lincoln's sentence was obvious: He preserved the union and freed the slaves. So was Franklin D. Roosevelt's: He lifted us out of a great depression and helped us win a world war. What, Luce challenged the young, impatient president, what do be his sentence?
What a powerful question--not just for great presidents, but for normal folks, too. What will our legacy be? How will our one sentence change history? As you prepare for another year (probably as tough and trying as last year), remember what Clare Booth Luce asked of a president: What's your sentence?
Please pray for Haiti. If that is all you can do, it's the most you can do!
19 comments:
Agree with you about Seth Godin - I've also been amazed at his writing day after day.
I've not heard of Clare Booth Luce and her advice about one sentence ... but I like it. I will have to ponder that for a while.
My sentence:
Lived for her family so they could be all they could be.
And I love it.
WOW, great post B, thanks. I too will have to ponder that! I've never heard of either Seth Godin or Clare Booth Luce, thanks for the insight! Love ya B! =)
awesome post! It's so releveant because we live in a time where so many people are wrapped up in their own world that they don't stop to think about who is watching or who they are affecting....it's hard not to get caught up in our circumstances or our ambitions...anyway very thought provoking...
Jenn- i love your sentence, i hope that is part of my legacy as well...
Our wonderful Pastor comes at it this way: make your "dash" count. Your dash. As in "Annie Henson 1973 -- ????" What will people remember about all the in between? Pretty humbling when you stop and think that, in the end, the only thing people are really going to remember about you is what you did during your in between.
Pretty awesome!
@Janet: I heard about your son. I hope he's okay!
@Jenn: What a selfless and giving sentence! You're family must adore you.
@His Jewel: Seth is brilliant. Like, if I had half his brain, I'd be a genius.
@Christy: I'm glad you're provoked. The question now is, what are you going to do about it.
@Annie: Can I steal that from your pastor? I love it!
Tragically survived each day to make a difference in society.
I work for a non-profit and it's very hard to get up and do what I do, but I believe I'm making a difference. Thanks for sharing!
girlfriend,
you need to update your speaking events column
BB -
I'm currently working on "the in between", but as lame & as unspiritual as it may be, I'm scared to death & lack courage to move in the direction God has giving me.
Believing Against Hope,
Cyn
p.s. I'm gonna steal your Mother Theresa quote.
@1: DON'T STOP. Keep your hand to the plow. In God's time you will recieve a blessing. Here or later, but there is a recompense to pay!!!
@2: It's updated! Hahaha! Good lookin' out.
@3: (Cyn) As a word of encouragement, I don't take leaps of faith... I take steps of faith. There's a big difference and sometimes, like Peter, we just need to take that step to doing the impossible. Just do it.
BB! It's all yours! (I'm pretty sure he'd be honored!!)
Nicely done Bianca, i am the worst writer on earth but when i got inspire every time i read your blog. my sentences may be " live, love and laught" if that is a sentence.. love
wow. one sentence? i have no idea. gotta think about that one...
That's really thought provoking. Now I have to chew on that one!!
Whats my sentence?
Whats my dash?....
I attended a funeral about 5 years ago, the Pastor had a regular table spoon, a fork and then a "dash", He posed a couple of questions, Is your life with Christ like the fork or spoon?....What does the dash represent in your time line, your life?...Those words still to this day stop me in my tracks and makes me think....
Is what I am doing with my time reflective of what Christ would approve of (dash)?....
Do I sift through life and keep the good stuff (fork) or do I just take it as it comes (spoon)?...
What and how I spend my time is reflective of the amount of time that I allow Christ in my Life, is it just when times are tough or is it all the time?....
for me..all the time. And I like, no, Love the spoon.
(I do get frustrated at things, people, situations)
I'm going to ask my family What is their sentence, then explain. It should be an interesting dinner conversation!
AP!
I thought of u during my devotion time this morning because of your Monday's blog. It's true sometimes I rush in morning and satisfied with just a little but thats not how I am with food, I eat good 3 x a day...Thank u bi!! :)
I heart Seth Godin too! Just finished his book "The Dip" and it was an encouragement to me in ministry to keep going! What's your fav of his?
Keep weaving a legacy of love B and challenging others to do the same. xo
Woowee! I just read another amazing article from Seth Godin.
Check it out: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/too-much-data-leads-to-not-enough-belief.html
We all should aspire to leave a legacy behind when we go home to our creator. I know I want to. I don't want to leave this life and have done nothing. I have always dreamed of being a history maker... and No, not with MY NAME behind it but with God's. I want to do great things but sometimes I feel that I am not able to do anything great. That is when God reminds me; I AM NOT ABLE TO DO GREAT THINGS but HIM through us All things are possible. How great God is!
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