What will matter is not your success，but your significance.What will matter is not what you learned，but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity，compassion，courage and sacrifice that enriched，empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence，but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew，but how many will feel a lasting loss whenyou’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories，but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered，by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.Choose to live a life that matter.
人生的最大遗憾莫过于错误地坚持了不该坚持的，轻易地放弃了不该放弃的……
参考翻译（高昆）
不管你是否已经准备好，有一天一切终将结束。不再有日出，你也将不再拥有每一天、每一小时、甚至每一分钟。你曾拥有的一切，无论是该被珍惜的还是该被遗忘的，都将转予他人。
你的财富、声望和权力都将与你无关。你所拥有的、亏欠的也将与你无关。
你的不满、愤恨、挫败和嫉妒都会消失殆尽。当然，你的希望、抱负、计划和要做的事也将无法实现。你曾最看重的那些得与失，也将慢慢被淡忘。
你来自什么地方、过什么样的生活都再不重要。同样，你的美貌和智慧也不再重要。性别、肤色和种族也都不再和你有任何关系。那么，该在乎什么呢？你又该以什么样的标准去衡量人生的价值呢？
你该在乎的，不是你买到了什么，而是你创造了什么；不是获得了什么，而是付出了什么。
你该在乎的，不是你的成功，而是你的价值。你该在乎的，不是你曾学会了什么，而是你让别人学会了什么。你该在乎的，应该是你的正直、同情心、勇气、以及感染、振奋和鼓舞他人仿效你的奉献精神。你该在乎的，不是你的能力，而是你的品格。你该在乎的，不是认识多少人，而是当你离开时为你永远伤心难过的有多少人。你该在乎的，不是人生留给你的回忆，而是那些爱你的人记着你的美好。
你该在乎的，不是你离开之后，将在人们心中停留多久，而是谁记得你，为什么记得你。
过一种不是由于偶然事件而变得重要的生活。外界因素并不起决定作用，关键在于你的选择。选择有价值的人生。
Mother"s Love 母爱
Anonymous 佚名
“Mother，”she said，looking down at the older woman who sat in the wheelchair.She ignored the other residents of the nursing home around them，“Mother，I know now.I understand.”
The woman looked up and smiled at her.“Sonya，it’s always so good to see you.”she said.
“Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing？”asked Sonya.She dropped into a chair beside the wheelchair，so that she and her mother could be on the same level.“All these years，and you never told me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about，”said the older woman.“How is your job going？Were you promoted，as you wanted to be？”
“I don’t want to talk about my job.I want to talk to you about what you’ve done to make me successful.”
“I didn’t do anything.You’ve done it all.All the education，all the hard work...”
“No！”Sonya stood up again，unable to keep still.“You’ve been doing it all！When I was in high school and I said I needed help with the higher level math courses，because I couldn’t figure any of it out，you said I shouldn’t worry.”
“You did fine.”said her mother.
“Yes！Because you gave me your maths ability！After that，you couldn’t even balance your checkbook，remember？”
She shrugged：“When people get older，they start to slow down.”“You had a graduate degree in mathematics.You were a brilliantteacher.But after I started doing well in high school maths，you lost all your abilities.Tell me it was a coincidence！”
“Darling，you’re upset.Probably too much stress.”
“No！No！I can’t stand taking from you anymore！I never wanted to go to grad school for that MBA.I never had the ambition.But you did.You had more ambition than ten women！Until I needed it，and then—then suddenly I burned with the desire to prove myself and you-you gave up.That’s when you started working at the supermarket.”
“I wanted a lower stress job.”
“I told you I was lonely but I thought I would never find anyone who would want to marry me，and then suddenly Bob turned into the most committed man I could ever imagine，and Dad suddenly lost interest in you and wandered off with that stupid woman across the street.”
“Now surely you’re not saying I’m responsible for your father’s failings，are you？”asked her mother，smiling weakly.
“I’m saying you gave up your own desirability，to give it to me！At tremendous cost to you！But that wasn’t all，either，was it？”
“Sonya，you really shouldn’t get yourself worked up this way.It can’t be good for you.”
“And then，”Sonya continued，ignoring the older woman，“when I needed that extra energy to do all the work I had to do in my first executive position，suddenly I had the energy I needed，and you could barely drag yourself out of bed in the morning！”
“I just wanted to see you succeed.”
“Why？”Sonya dropped down on her knees in front of her mother’s wheelchair，clutching her mother’s frail hands.“Why did you do all this to yourself？Why？I’m not worth it，Mom！No success I’ve had in my life is worth what you’ve done to yourself for me！”
“Oh，”said her mother，stroking Sonya’s hair，“you’re wrong about that.Everything I did and everything I gave up was worth it because of you，of what you’ve made of yourself.”
“Mom，Mom，please，I’m begging you，take it back.I don’t want my success on these terms！I don’t want to see you grow more and more frail，more and more helpless，just so that I can grow stronger and richer and more famous！”
“What’s holding you back now？”asked her mother，“Why didn’t you get the promotion？”“I’m not going to tell you！Aren’t you listening to me？I don’t want you to do more to yourself for me！”
Her mother looked down at her for a few seconds，and then nodded.“Ah，yes，I see.I understand，dear.You’re almost there，aren’t you？You just need a little more，just a tad more strength，but it’s all right.You’re going to get it，don’t worry.”
Sonya raised her head，horrified.“No，Mom！I told you，I don’t want it！Don’t—whatever you’re going to do，don’t do it！”
Her mother’s head snapped backwards，and her eyes rolled in her head.Sonya，horrified，clutched at her mother’s wrist.The pulse was barely discernible.Sonya screamed，and the personnel at the nursinghome rushed toward them.
But before they arrived，her mother’s eyes opened for a second，and for the last time，Sonya saw the intelligence she always remembered in her mother.“Have a daughter，”her mother breathed.“Do it for her.”
女人固然是脆弱的，母亲却是坚强的……
参考翻译（高昆）
“妈，”养老院里，她看着轮椅上的老妇人，旁若无人的说，“妈，现在我知道了，我懂了。”
老妇人抬起头，微笑着对她说：“索妮娅，见到你总是特别高兴。”“为什么您不告诉我你所做的？”索妮娅边问边在轮椅旁边的椅子上坐了下来，以免老妇人继续仰着头，“这么多年，您从没对我说过。”
“我不明白你指的什么，”老妇人说，“你的工作怎么样了，是否如你所愿升了职？”
“我不想谈工作，只想知道为了我的成功，您都做了什么”“我什么都没做，这都是你自己用努力换来的，所有的课程，所有的努力……”“不！”索妮娅又一次站了起来，有些站不稳的说，“所有的一切都是您的努力！读高中的时候，我的高等数学可成绩很差，我说我需要帮助，因为我一道题都不会做。您说别着急，慢慢来。”
“你做得很好啊。”她的母亲说。
“我是做得很好！但那是因为您把您的数学才能给了我！从那以后，您连自己的账本都算不清楚了，不是吗？”
老妇人耸了耸肩说：“人老了，难免迟钝。”“您有研究生数学专业的学位，又是一名有才华的教师，但是，自从我高等数学这门课程有点儿起色后，您却失去了所有能力。不要告诉我这只是巧合！”
“亲爱的，你怎么如此悲观，是不是压力太大了？”“不！没有！我再也不能拿走您的任何东西了！我从来没奢望去念MBA，我没有雄心壮志。但是，您有，您的志气比天还高，可当我需要它，强烈地证明自己的能力时，您却放弃了，开始在超市工作。”
