The most precious aspect of life lies in the fact that it is quite fleeting. We make new discoveries and learn new lessons every single day. However, we also lose the people we love and the things we treasure as life progresses. Sometimes we do not even notice our losses until an odd memory appears and draws our attention to the little things we miss about our past. As such, our hearts and minds are a home for many final memories. They house the last smile that a friend gave you before you grew apart and never met again. They house the fragrance of the last meal you shared with someone. They hold the last sound of the melody that a loved one used to hum.
As we grow up, we gradually learn to accept that nothing in life is truly permanent. While this means that every relationship we have and every moment we experience must be treasured, it also means that the efforts we make to change the world around us can potentially be meaningless. After all, if even people fade away over time, what use is a single action?
For instance, imagine that you spot a piece of litter in a public space that you use quite often. Would you be inclined to pick it up and place it into a dustbin? If you do choose to do so, how sure can you be that the spot will remain clean forever? The truth is, we cannot be sure that any of our actions would have a lasting effect on the world.
Although the permanence of actions can never be determined for sure, we do know that ideas are permanent, or, at least, more lasting than actions. The things we remember about the past shape our current actions. The ideas that our predecessors planted, have grown into values that shape how we behave as a race today. Picking up a piece of litter may be a meaningless action in the grand scheme of things. However, placing a sign that influences others to do the same can potentially prevent the issue from ever occurring again.
Every human being is powerful in the fact that he is not only capable of actions that can transform the world, but also of influencing others to engage in such actions. Every generation makes a mark on the world in the form of the changes it makes to it. More significantly, a generation leaves behind valuable ideas and new philosophies to be adopted by its successors. We are not remembered for the way we look or the way we sound. Even our words and actions begin to fade over time. However, our ideas will survive the test of time.
