VIVA LA VIDA or Death and All his Friends is an album by English alternative rock band Coldplay...The album was named after a Spanish phrase that transaltes into English as " long live life" The cover art is a 1830 painting titled LIBERTY LEADING THE PEOPLE.
a vision of a revolution against a monarch who is deposed from power.
The lyrics" who would want to be king?" and all my castles rest on pillars of sand " are descriptive of the fate and reward of those who would try to exert power and influence of empire over a period of time...a fools errand .
Watch the you tube video (TOP) with the series of paintings" coles :The course to empire"
From conquerer "long live the king" to conquest "the old king is dead"
"I sweep the streets I used to own...I now sleep alone"
Or as Jackson Browns' latest album titled "Time the Conquerer" says it all.
So why do so many try?
My office has books about that, Companies "Built To Last "... .....modern Industrialist/builders "Skyscrapers"... "Kings "Castles of the World"...."Wonders of The World " Egyptian Pyramids etc..
It is an effort to leave something beyond this life to future generations to say " My life mattered"
or " I was significant or just successful"
Another take on this is Legacy .
This was a sermon topic today with a visual aid of a pyramid
At its base was CONVICTION....what drives you. Thoughts and motives at your core .
The next layer was CHARACTER...who you are and how your values influence your decisions ,conduct and habits and ultimately your destiny.
At the top was legacy..how history will define you by your defining moments.
In his book "A RESILIENT LIFE" Gordon MacDonald states "Every decision you make is a monument to your life"
Like the pyramids this monument is built a block at a time .
The metaphor was not lost an me when I read todays Harvey McKay article titled
"BUILD A PYRAMID OF SUCCESS " about John Wooden A legendary UCLA basketball coach who won 10 NCAA championships, the Medal of freedom, and this summer was named the "GREATEST COACH EVER" by Sporting News. Most of you know I am not a sports fan and these stats are still very impressive but what I liked best was his crediting his father for grounding him in his formative years with this creed given to him on a little card at graduation.
At the top of the card was written "SEVEN THINGS TO DO " (I love the simplicity)
1.) Be true to yourself (conviction)
2.) Help others (character)
3.) Make each day you masterpiece. (legacy..no regrets)
4.Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5.) Make friendship a fine art. (Think about that one)
6.) Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7.) PRAY FOR GUIDANCE AND COUNT AND GIVE THANKS FOR YOUR BLESSINGS EVERY DAY. ....(NO REGRETS)
Then Harvey McKay Shows how you can construct a visual picture of Woodens pyramid.
On the bottom layer draw 5 blocks and label them; industriousness, friendship, loyalty, cooperation, and enthusiasm.
On the next layer fill in four blocks with these labels ; SELF CONTROL, ALERTNESS, INITIATIVE AND INTENTNESS.
Next on the third layerer draw 3 blocks and label them : condition,skill and team spirit.
On the fourth:poise and confidence
On the fifth and next to last layer one block ; COMPETITIVE GREATNESS
Finallly the triangular crown is divided into 2 halves with the labels: FAITH and PATIENCE
Harvey reminds us
" Wooden did not teach basketball .
He taught life!"
Harvey concludes with his Mckays Moral "(coutesy of Wooden) :
"
TALENT IS GOD -GIVEN BE HUMBLE !
FAME IS MAN -GIVEN -BE THANKFUL.
CONCIET IS SELF -GIVEN-BE CAREFUL."
7.) Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings every day. (no regrets)
All that is to say viva la vida "long live life"
Even after your gone....with no regrets!
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Thanks for sharing. We have so much to be thankful for. Interesting reading.
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