Last month, I went with my friend to visit a man who is in the hospital with multiple sclerosis. We talked with him for a while, we helped him setup speed-dial for his family in his hospital phone and we helped him setup a new GMail account because he had forgotten the password to his Hotmail account.
He was so happy and grateful to have visitors, even for an hour. Mentally, he was still very sharp but the MS had debilitated his body and his speech. I sat there wondering what things he wanted to accomplish that he never got the chance to.
As we walked out of the hospital, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Guilty that I could walk out of the hospital. The guilt quickly turned to a sense of obligation to do something great because there are so many people that don’t have the chance.
What we all have isn’t just a chance. We all have a responsibility to do something great. We all need to change the world in our own ways. We’re all blessed with enough intelligence and drive. Plenty of people are willing to teach us the skills and techniques. We have no excuse not to succeed.
What we all have is not an opportunity. It’s an obligation.
