A few months ago, I embarked on my factory secondment training program for my company where I had to produce furniture from scratch to finish. During the course of my program, I decided to express the child in me by experimenting with some fun looking machineries on chip board and guess what I carved out?
Feeling so cool and technical, I decided to repeat the process on different objects and in no time, I had my name written almost all over the place. It was no wonder my presence was indeed felt.
Looking back at the memories from my training program, I pondered on this question that got my wheels turning. "How many hearts have my name on them"?
Just like the boards, we all love to create good memories, ones that can always be looked back on with a smile, ones that we can share with friends and loved ones, ones that tell stories of our lives, where we've come from and where we hope to get to. We love to explore life to its fullest, love to be known and recognized for good. We focus on having our names known to the high and mighty, the dignitaries, power officials and influential authorities, that we go all out to please them for something in return. We focus on having our names make it to the headlines, the news, the magazines, billboards and the gram, that we forget the most important place; - the heart.
I have come to realise that the greatest gift one can give in life is a portion of thy self, and the greatest legacy is a good name. A good name is found in the hearts of the weak, the troubled, the needy, the helpless, the homeless, the orphans, the peasants, the widows, the disabled... A good name is the little act of kindness, the encouragement, the smile, the prayers, the friendship, the love we give even to those who don't love us in return. A good name is the only thing you take with you and leave with others when you are gone. It is priceless and should be our greatest priority in life.
Looking at what I have taken in from others and also what I have learned from my own experiences, has been a powerful exploration of who I am and what I hope to leave behind.
And if there's one thing I've also learnt, it's that a good name exudes love and only the strong in heart can show love just the same way God showed love, that even when we were yet sinners, he died for us. Its easier to do good to those who do good to us, but then what makes us different?
I want to remind and encourage people to be generous with love and kindness no matter how little, keep doing good and being good to everyone. You never know what heart may have your name imprinted for life.
Carve your name on hearts not boards or stones.
