Though somewhat off topic, I'd like to share the following comment in response to a LinkedIn-Today feature of the same title penned by Ron Shaich, the Founder, Chairman, and Co-CEO at Panera Bread.
Comment/Response to Confronting Our Final Deadline:
Yes indeed. Life presents us with conditions, and challenges each of us to better those conditions.
"Confronting Our Final Deadline" at the end of our lives, begs the proverbial question for each of us.
How should we perceive, define, and conduct the remainder of our lives?
Truth and Justice:
Truth and justice are the fractal building blocks of civilization. Without collectively established truths and the fair administration of justice, individual lives, societies and civilizations suffer and crumble. As such, as individuals and as cultural collectives, our first priority should always be the relentless and continual pursuit of truth and justice.
Classic Education:
We should all do the very best that we can to classically educate ourselves, and our children, in truth, reason, harmony, love, joy, and justice.
Tenaciously seeking and obtaining Truth and Justice in every realm of existence is paramount, for without the establishment of unequivocal truths and equal justice, there can be no lasting reason, enduring harmony, love, or joy.
Mastery of the Trivium, (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) establishes the foundation of a classic education. Students thereof obtain the requisite skills to self-access, reflect and act upon all learned truths.
Once properly educated, matured, and aware, we should then strive to live out the remainder of our lives with the highest levels of reverence, humility, humor, respect, and integrity toward ourselves and others.
If successful in mastering these principles, and without the need for public or self-examinations, each of us could better our chances at living full and rewarding lives based upon truth and justice, which provide the enduring foundation from which to experience lives of serene and peaceful abundance, filled with reason, purpose, harmony, love, and joy.
Past, Present, Future:
All that has historically transpired prior to our births profoundly affects our present lives. All that transpires after our deaths profoundly affects the lives of those we leave behind and those yet born. As such, accurately comprehending historical and present truths is essential if we wish to improve our condition and avoid repeating the mistakes of our peers and predecessors.
Still Falling Short:
Unfortunately, the historic ruling collective of human existence has not yet evolved to elevating itself to govern in the principles of absolute truth and equal justice. Shortsightedness, dominance, and the self-centeredness of immediate desires blind, and corrupt, and thereby restrict the mass of humanity from living in peaceful abundance amidst the glory of truth and justice.
Rising Up:
Though none of us asked for it, each of us has received the miraculous gift of life. The conditional gift of life and consciousness quickly becomes a most serious challenge. Each of us should have a common duty meet life's challenges with a prudently grounded and assertive will. In our pursuits of happiness via truth and justice, each of us should be forever grateful for the opportunity endowed to us in producing lasting positive impacts for ourselves and for future generations.
If each of us faithfully embraces these principles reflexively as a culture, there would be far less regrets when reflecting upon one's life, and therefore, much less need for pre or post mortem examinations.
The well-penned and thought provoking insights provided in Ron Shaich's article should prompt each of us to dig a little bit deeper in understanding its undeniable relevance.
In Closing:
Though not quite as emotional or eloquently written as Ron's, in my April 22, 2011 penning of "R.E.S.T, the King of Commodities," I too was inspired to introduce this profound topic relative to the conducting of one's business.
