Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you.

I came across this quote in the WhatsApp status of a friend of mine. It is very difficult to credit the author of this quote or reflection. It’s definitely not mine. Yet, it resonated very much with me, so I’d like to share it with you.

If you dare to take a moment to reflect, consider this perspective: whatever you do in life does not serve you, but serves someone else—your grandchildren, the next generation of leaders in your organization, your community, your partner, your neighbors, future doctors… How differently would you act? What role would you have in someone else’s story?

I personally love these mind games, as they often turn out to be true. People who change their perspective from a “finite” to an “infinite game mind” can change the world. I could list many big names in this passage, from Elon Musk to leaders of societal movements to survivors of the Holocaust—they made their lives a support for the stories of many others.

How would this change of perspective impact your life and the decisions you make if, even just for a moment, you believed that your life is meant to serve someone else’s story?