People always compare the concept of life to a marathon or a race.

I agree.

But when I say that life is “a dash,” there’s a little play on words.

1. You may have heard that on a tombstone, one’s life is summed up in that little “-” between the date of birth and the date of passing (1901-1979).  That little mark doesn’t say much about who we are or what we’ve done in our lives here.
2. Compared to eternity and centuries of life, our own life is like a pin prick on the Great Wall of China. Simply a spec in time.
3. History, purpose, and future: Understanding where you came from tells you where you are, and realizing where you are now will determine where you can go. We are capable of building legacies, good ones and bad ones, all within an average of 70 years. That’s pretty miraculous. It can also be quite tragic. Are you doing what you need to do? Progress.

*ROADS*

BBC Earth’s Life series reminded me of the thoughts written above.  This wise little mammal, helped put things into perspective.

Meet the Sengi, formerly known as the “elephant shrew.” It’s clever and it’s a survivor. Check it out:

We all have some sort of mental map of where we want to go, and when “ancient enemies” try to come after us, it’s our endurance and the direction of our lives that can keep us alive.  So if you’re reading this and feel hopeless or discouraged in the least bit, rest assured that you’re still here, and are still capable of a new start today.

I’m not sure if I’m thankful or bitter for these words by world-renown speaker and pastor Francis Chan, but they hit home with me quite often:

Just to put into perspective the brevity of our lives:

Throughout time, somehwere between forty-five billion and one hundred twenty-five billion people have lived on this earth. That’s 125,000,000,000.  In about fifty years (give or take a couple of decades), no one will remember you. Everyone you know will be dead. Certainly no one will care what job you had, what car you drove, what school you attended, or what clothes you wore. This can be terrifying or reassuring, or maybe a mix of both.

- Francis Chan in Crazy Love

What a challenging thought!

However, it’s not impossible to become timeless. I mean, that’s why there are history books. We still remember figures that have impacted this world for better and worse. If you compare the amount of individuals in history books to the amount of people that have ever lived, then it’s a small number.

Does this mean that your dash means anything less? NOT AT ALL. If you have the access, resources, and experience in anything worth fighting for, you can still create a ripple effect in people’s hearts, turning your dash into something that creates an unstoppable momentum.

So don’t make that little “-” on your tombstone the only thing that defines your life when you’re gone. You still have time to leave a footprint and add some definition to what life is. Do something.