It sounds like a teaser for a new action flick: What would you do if you only had 24 hours left to live? 😁 But it is a serious question that I believe we should all reflect on, no matter how scary it might seem.

In my values-based leadership classes, I often ask my Kellogg students and executive leaders to think about this question, and to help them with this important self-reflection, I offer the following questions:

  • What are your values?
  • What is your purpose?
  • What really matters in your life?
  • What kind of a leader do you want to be?
  • What kind of example do you want to set for those with whom you interact?

I think these are very important questions to ask, and as the professor, I get to ask them. 😁

This process got flipped on me yesterday morning at the Saints Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish at the 8AM mass. I had stayed up very late Saturday night and rolled into church thinking I would just casually listen but maybe not take the service too seriously.

My plan changed abruptly when Father Rob Ryan, our associate pastor (and all-around great guy), started his homily with a simple question: “What would you do if you knew you would die tomorrow?” He explained that it was not meant to be depressing or a downer, but worth spending a little time thinking about.

He noted that it appeared many people would immediately and urgently begin running around nonstop to fix the unfinished business in their lives that they had put off. That list may include contacting people they hadn’t spoken to in many years, maybe apologizing to people that they had hurt in some way, and also maybe reflecting on their faith life.

As I sat in the pew, and personally reflected on the question, I actually felt very much at peace. I attribute this in large part to the three-day silent retreats I have been participating in every December for the past almost 40 years (this year it will be December 5-8) and refreshed daily by my self-examinations every evening. I felt at peace because I realized many years ago that each one of us eventually has one last day left on this earth – we just don’t know when that day is. As a result, I decided many years ago that since you never do know when, why wouldn’t you live each day of your life as if it were your last?

This thought process could be a result of your faith, your religion, your spirituality, or maybe an innate desire to simply be a good person; some simply refer to it as “living the Golden rule.”

As I walked out of mass, I started to feel more optimistic about the world. Yes, it is clear we have many, many challenges in the world today. I won’t waste time here outlining the whole list that most of you are already aware of. However, I do sincerely believe that if each of us truly reflects on how short life is and thinks about how each one of us can make a small positive difference, the world would be a much better place.

I realize that I have often been accused of being somewhat idealistic and maybe a little naïve. That may be true, but I’d rather be idealistic and a little naïve then give up and assume we can’t make the world any better.

The movie of your life will eventually come to an end, and as I like to say, let’s stop watching the movie, and let’s get in the movie instead! 😁👍🥰

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