whats your legacy ?

When faced with adversity, do you lie down or do you fight?
Do you make the most of each day?
What will your legacy be?

When adversity strikes, it's not what happens that determines our destiny; it's how we react.

You have to believe you can do something and then have the courage and determination to see it through. That's what Finish Strong by Dan Green is all about. The book is filled with amazing stores about people from all walks of life who, in the face of adversity, against all odds...finished strong!
Finish Strong is more than a statement...it's an attitude. Today, I'd like to share one of the stories from the book about Miles Levin, a teenager, who despite his terminal cancer choose to persevere and inspire thousands by making each day count.

An excerpt from
Finish Strong
by Dan GreenAfter a two year battle with cancer, teenager Miles Levin, unfortunately lost his fight. However, during his final years, he achieved a level of self awareness, courage and wisdom that most of us will never reach. Miles chose to post his observations on a carepages.com blog and through his writings he inspired thousands of people. He wrote with amazing grace and eloquence. Some of his posts were short:

"Dying is not what scares me. It's dying having no impact."
Some were long and philosophical. But each post served a significant purpose in that it challenged a reader to think more deeply about life, death and making a difference. Through his expressions, Miles left this world a better place than he came into it. Here's what Miles said just one month after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

"I went to the driving range the other day and I was thinking...I was thinking how you start out with a big bucket full of golf balls, and you just start hitting away carelessly. You have dozens of them, each individual ball means nothing to you so just hit, hit, hit. One ball gone is practically inconsequential when subtracted from your bottomless bucket.

There are no practice swings or technique re-evaluations after a bad shot, because so many more tries remain. Yet eventually you start to have to reach down towards the bottom of the bucket to scavenge for another shot and you realize that tries are running out.

Now with just a handful left, each swing becomes more meaningful. The right technique becomes more crucial, so between each shot you take a couple practice swings and a few deep breaths. There is a very strong need to end on a good note, even if every preceding shot was terrible, getting it right at the end means a lot. You know as you tee up your last ball, "This is my final shot, I want to crush this with perfection; I must make this count.
" Limited quantities or limited time brings a new precious value and significance to anything you do. Live every day shooting as if it's your last shot, I know I have to.
-Miles Alpern Levin, July 7, 2005.Like Miles suggested, we should treat each day as a precious ball of life. Take your time, take a breath and make a practice swing. Make each shot count and most of all finish strong!
The difference between our success or failure is not chance - it's choice. Which will you have chosen?

love li shao
aai family
the miracles makers