Have you seen the movie "the victims of war?" Based on a true story, the film challenges us to consider the choices we make in life.
Michael J. Fox stars as Max Eriksson, a member of a team of 6 people on patrol during the Vietnam War. Sean Penn stars as Sergeant Tony Meserve team leader.
team has lately seen a lot of struggle and Meserve decided to have the right to a "recreation". While on their next patrol, the team (despite protests Eriksson and his refusal to participate) kidnaps and rapes a Vietnamese girl. Eriksson at the end of the report of his comrades in power, who, instead of taking immediate action, at first indifferent, then openly hostile to Eriksson.
learning that Eriksson announced details of rape of his superiors, one of the members of the team he faces the question of why he would turn them in. After all, he says, we can die at any moment in the war. What difference does it make what we do?
Eriksson turns this thinking on the head saying that just because they can die at any moment the choices they make in every moment of the utmost importance.
The choice between these two views of the world is actually the one that we have every day, although we can not always be present at it. Some believe that it makes no difference what we do because some of us will be remembered for very long after we die for what we do or who we are. Others believe that our actions have a major impact on current and future generations if we personally are remembered or not.
Steve Jobs had something to say about it, when it was given the start address at Stanford University in 2005. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a year before he gave this talk (the same cancer that has now caused him to step out of your day to day responsibilities at Apple) and he ended his remarks with regard to mortality.
Like every beginning speaker before him, Jobs urged the graduates to be true to ourselves, because "time is limited." Jobs added that "I can now say with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept"
Jobs warned graduates ask themselves the question: "If today were the last day of my life, I'd want to do what I'm about to do today, and whenever the answer was" No "for too many days in a row, I know it should be make a difference "(you can see his interview on YouTube ).
I was under the influence of Jobs's comments, and as a result, I took a new practice.
Every morning, I create a schedule for the day at my computer screen and, usually, I'm in a hurry to complete this plan and get to work.
Now, however, just before I create a schedule, I pause and take a moment to notice the very obvious fact that I see a blank page and everything I put on a schedule that is a contribution I m going to make life that day. This May sound grandiose, but it's just I thought.
Some of the activities put on the schedule will be dictated by the demands of others, and some activities will be chosen by me. But in any case, my approach to these activities and will make a difference or will just be another "do" to be gotten out of the way as quickly as possible.
I choose. Will what I am about to make any difference or will it not?
As Grail Knight advised in the movie, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , "choose wisely ."
Good advice.
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