Are You Living to Die or Dying to Live?: What Will Your Legacy Be?

By Aaron Lumpkin

Are you ready to die? If there was the slightest possibility you could develop deeper insights, thoughts, and understanding, wouldnt you want to do it? This powerful, positive guide emphasizes the urgency to celebrate every day so you can create a memorable legacy. Be inspired to live with passion, courage, hope, and faith. Strengthen your desire to overcome self-defeating behavior patterns that may be holding you back from achieving the extraordinary quality of life you want. Discover insights to help you find the meaning and purpose you seek. Also included are encouraging words from Josh Lumpkin, Aarons twenty-two-year-old son, who describes the challenges of being a young person today. Discover that life is truly a celebration. Above all, you will see aspects of your life that may need to be changed, so when the end comes, you can know that you lived the best life possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490849300

Aaron Lumpkin

Aaron Lumpkin (Ph.D. Candidate, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as Campus Minister and Director of Faith & Service at Missouri Baptist University. He and his wife Sara have three children.

Book preview

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ARE YOU LIVING

TO DIE OR

DYING TO LIVE?

What Will Your Legacy Be?

Aaron Lumpkin

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Copyright © 2014 Aaron Lumpkin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods and services requires the prior consent of Biblica US, Inc.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4931-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4929-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4930-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014915342

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/11/2014

Contents

Gratitude

Introduction

Chapter 1    An Extraordinary Journey

Finding Your Purpose

We Come Into This World With A Clean Slate

Southern Beginnings

Chapter 2    Keys To Creating A Lasting Legacy

Each Of Us Is A Story

Don’t Worry About What Might Have Been

The Theater Of Life

A Few Philosophical Musings

Create Life Moments

Human Existence Is Complicated

Our Circumstances Will Get Better When We Get Better

Don’t Be Overly Concerned With Fairness

Measure The Value Of Life By Quality—Not Quantity

Have The Courage To Examine Your Life

Life’s Great Equalizers

This Is The Only World We Have

Live On Purpose

Do Something Worthwhile

Overcome Bad Memories By Taking Some Risks

The Main Concept To Grasp If We Want To Be Extraordinary

There Is A Battle Going On Within Us

Confidence Will Lead To Success

Seek Wisdom And Understanding

Understand That Money Rules The World

When We Do The Right Thing, The Best Outcome Tends To Follow

Chapter 3    How All Of This Began— Aaron’s Journey

Overcoming Failure A Second Time

I Started Sharing My Message With The World

Josh’s Story

Between The Lines

Chapter 4    Keys To Understanding The Mysteries Of Life

The True Secret Of Creating A Memorable Legacy

Make Your Dreams Come True

Be Sure To Express Your Love To The Closest People In Your Life

It Is Not Our Death That Matters—But The Lives We Live

Experience Life As An Adventure, Rather Than As A Burden

Realize That Anxiety Is Part Of The Journey

Be Cautious Of People’s Opinions

Understand The Principle Of Cause And Effect

To Have More, We Have To Become More

The Million-Dollar Question—Why Are So Many People Determined Not To Change?

Chapter 5    Ways To Leave Amazing Legacies: Part One

Emulate People Who Have Made A Difference

The Secret Of Life

Use The Power Of Your Mind

Watch For Your Turning Point

Determine Your Own Destiny By Making Growth A Lifetime Process

Life Is A Great Mystery

Be Thankful—Things May Be Better Than You Think

Endure What Life Throws At You

Be Bold

What Is The Journey Trying To Show Us?

Put Your Heart Into Everything You Do

Don’t Feel Trapped In Life

Become Enlightened

A Few Personal Thoughts

Search For The Truth

Develop An Attitude Of Determination

Be Courageous Enough To Face The Truth

Do Not Let Your Mistakes Become Your Identity

Your Value As A Person Is Determined By You

This Is Your Adventure

Picture The World Without You

Dealing With Boredom

Consider Being The Best

Chapter 6    Ways To Leave Amazing Legacies: Part Two

The Greatest Gift You Can Give— Inspire And Encourage Others

Develop Positive Relationships

Grasp The Importance Of Time

Live Urgently

A Profound Truth—Life Is Tough

Seeing Ourselves As We Are—Looking Back From The Grave

Understand The Value Of What We Have Learned Through The Centuries

What Will Your Legacy Be?

Chapter 7    The Unique Legacies Of Women

A Closer Look

The Paradox Of Being A Woman

Smart And Assertive Women Make A Real Difference

Great Ways To Encourage Women

More Ways Women Can Become Smart And Confident

Lift Up Women Who Are Down

Chapter 8    The New Young People— Legacies Of Hope

Young People Are Not Meant To Be Alike

The Problem Of Evil

The Challenge Of Social Networking

Make A Connection With Your Family

What Do The Children See?

Chapter 9    Sports, Legacies, And Legends

One Person Can Make A Tremendous Difference

It’s The Entire Game That Matters—In Sports And Life

Sports Keep Us Healthy And Vibrant

Sports Are A Great Way To Create A Legacy

You Can Win In The Game Of Life

Chapter 10    Developing A Vision For The Future

An Important Issue

Be Fair And Reasonable With Yourself Before You Die

My Daily Experience

Here We Are Again

Culture Reproduces Our Values

Our Experiences Show On Our Faces

Overcome Feelings Of Guilt

Life Is Tougher For Some Of Us Than For Others

Be Humble And Know How Amazing You Are

Attitudes To Avoid

Realize The Past Is In The Past

Create A Legacy In Spite Of Your Doubts

Do Not Underestimate The Uncertainty Of Life

The Excitement Is In The Possibilities

Don’t Be Controlled By Others

Be Aware Of The Way You Are Expressing Yourself

Chapter 11    The Journey Of A Lifetime

Keep Your Expectations High

We Can Be Like Others Or Be Ourselves

Be Interested In Other People

The Great Challenge Of Life

Recognition Will Come If Deserved

Make A Real Difference And You Will Find Happiness

Visualize Different Scenarios Concerning Yourself

Never Give Up

What Happens To Us?

A Letter To Cancer Patients

Endnotes

To my lovely wife, Judy;

my amazing son Josh;

and my son Eric, whom I never had the pleasure to know.

GRATITUDE

I want to thank Dr. Grafton Thurman and Billy L. Akin for their invaluable encouragement and insights in helping me create this book. Thank you, Jim Morris, Pam Morris, Alex Reddick, Bob Thompson, and Bill Gallaher for your feedback, advice, inspiration, and friendship. Thank you, Judy Lumpkin and Robin Brunett, for your guidance and helping me stay firmly grounded. Without all of you, this book would not be what it is.

INTRODUCTION

I f you are open-minded and give careful consideration to what I am saying, you will glean insights that will transform your existence. We are at a crossroads in history—many opinions, points of view, and philosophies are competing for our attention. Are we going along with the usual daily flow of events, or should we slow down and think about our lives?

I have wrestled with many demons, including addiction, poor self-esteem, and cancer, so I do not perceive life through the filters of self-interest, money, popularity, and recognition. I see life for what it is. I realize that every person has secrets we will never know.

I am someone who has risen above many difficulties, and I feel as if I’ve been led to share my experiences with others. All of us are headed for the same final destiny; we need to examine our lives, instead of living with the same knee-jerk responses every day until we die.

This could be my last book because I’m not sure how long I have to live. This fact alone would not be reason enough for me to read someone’s book, nor would I necessarily read a book because an author has suffered through difficult circumstances. Life is not a competition to see who among us has had the worst misfortunes happen to us. Many of us have experienced challenging lives, but we can benefit from books that reveal how the authors’ experiences have changed their lives and helped them to encourage others.

A person’s last words often carry more weight because the author is viewing life from a unique vantage point—it is impossible to write from this point of view until you get here. It is like experiencing the death of a loved one; you don’t truly know how you will feel until it happens. I have no reason to write anything other than the truth as I see it.

My twenty-two-year-old son, Joshua Lumpkin, contributed significantly to the writing of this book. His insights are important because he speaks from another generation. I am grateful to him for his contributions.

I have tried to write in an interesting and entertaining way because most people do not want to sit around and ponder the deeper meaning of our existence. It is my hope that you will see aspects of yourself that will motivate you to leave a memorable legacy.

CHAPTER 1

AN EXTRAORDINARY

JOURNEY

W hen Harding University freshman Ty Osman was involved in a multiple car crash, he jumped out of his vehicle to see if his friends in another car were injured. He had no idea that a third car would come along, strike him, and take his life that night. When the parents of twenty elementary school children sent their kids to class on an ordinary day, they were oblivious to the fact they would never see their children alive again because of the impending evil awaiting them. When I went into the hospital last year with blood clots, I learned that I have stage 4 melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, and was told there is a 75 percent chance that I will die within five years.

Most of us do not believe we are going to die; we believe we are the fortunate ones whom destiny has smiled upon. It’s always the other person—not me. No one will ever read my obituary or refer back to when I was living. So we live out our days lost in the incessant flow of automatic thinking and the assumption that we’ll get to enjoy our daily pleasures while everyone else is passing away.

This day is one day closer to our last day; it is a lifetime in a capsule. If we would heighten our awareness that our death is imminent, we would live with more of a sense of urgency and depth. We would waste less time responding to the trillions of bits of information constantly bombarding us that block our capacity to create a lasting legacy. We would examine our lives, instead of reacting to everything going on around us. In his best-selling book A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle asks, Can human beings lose the density of their conditioned mind structures … can they defy the gravitational pull of materialism … that condemns them to imprisonment within their own personality?¹

We live at a fascinating time in history, but the secret of life consists of learning to better understand ourselves and others, rather than being spectators who watch the unfolding daily barrage of information that speeds toward us like missiles. We are on an extraordinary journey—a journey we could not imagine in our wildest dreams—but deep inside we know that the journey is not permanent, and if we don’t leave an imprint, no one may ever know we were here.

What will our legacy be? What masterpiece will we leave with the world? A song, a poem, a book, a great thought, a kind deed? What do we want to accomplish before we depart? What will we pass on to the present and future generations?

Each day we awaken to another opportunity: this