I’m not much of a movie buff. I actually miss most of the movies that I think I would like to see. But I came across a quote today from a movie that is one of my favorites. The movie Gladiator. I guess its more of a snippet than just a quote….
Maximus: Five thousand of my men are out there in the freezing mud. Three thousand of them are bloodied and cleaved. Two thousand will never leave this place. I will not believe that they fought and died for nothing.
Marcus Aurelius: And what would you believe?
Maximus: They fought for you and for Rome.
Marcus Aurelius: And what is Rome, Maximus?
Maximus: I’ve seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark, Rome is the light.
Marcus Aurelius: Yet you have never been there. You have not seen what it has become. I am dying, Maximus. When a man sees his end… he wants to know there was some purpose to his life. How will the world speak my name in years to come? Will I be known as the philosopher? The warrior? The tyrant…? Or will I be the emperor who gave Rome back her true self? There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish… it was so fragile. And I fear that it will not survive the winter.
“When a man sees his end…he wants to know there was some purpose to his life.”
That’s a pretty weighty thought that most seem not to think until they are towards the end of their life. Well, I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of Orrin Woodward’s newest book, Resolved: 13 Resolutions For Life, and was lead to think about what track my life is on and what legacy would I leave if I were to continue living life as I do right now.
What about yourself? How will you be remembered? As the philosopher? As the warrior? As the tyrant? Even better — how would you like to be remembered? There’s still time. As Jim Rohn said, ”You can’t change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.”
