Eventual Defeat

I showed up to college wanting to major in History. I was that weird kid in high school that was actually fascinated by the stories and the battles that took place centuries before. Why? Because it seemed to me that I could actually learn more about people and the world around me from a history textbook rather than, let’s say, an algebra textbook. I also sucked at math so the gravitation was natural.

Long story short, I ended up not majoring in history per the sage advice of my dad when he advised me that, “The only thing you can do with a history degree is keep studying it or eventually teach it.” However, my interest remained and I decided to make the most of my elective courses by choosing classes that involved History. I say all this because through all my studies I realized something very important that can be perfectly encapsulated in this quote from Simone de Beauvoir:

“If you live long enough, you’ll see that every victory turns into a defeat.”

You see every Dynasty or Family that once ruled their respective nations or people eventually collapsed. From the Han Dynasty in China to the Medici Family in Italy to the Rockefeller Family in America, they all eventually suffered a fall from grace. A consistent and true testament to the fact that nothing lasts forever.

So what can we take from all of this? Well I would encourage all of us to understand that our life is not about the wins and the power we hold. Time is the only Dynasty that remains unbeaten and it is a patient killer that eventually will always win. So may I suggest a re-frame for how we approach our lives to a mindset that focuses not on material victories but rather on relationships built. Instead of the typical passing of wealth down the generations, what if you were able to pass ideas and values down the generations of not only your family but of all those you came in contact with?

Change a life today and that person changes two lives tomorrow. Let your character permeate through time and positively affect as many people as you can. That I would call a life well lived.