Last week I had the honor of gathering stories of a life dedicated to serving others.  A great friend that I was blessed to work with for over eight years passed away.  He had had a lasting impact on my life, and over the last week I have seen that his positive influence reached farther than I had ever imagined.

John Wesley said the purpose of life is to “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”

I reflected on this statement from Wesley while reading the stories about my friend.  Each story was unique and came from a variety of people from high school friends, college friends, work friends, and family.  But the message was always the same and I think the best epitaph anyone could receive: “Thank you for making a difference in my life.”

The takeaway for me was to rededicate myself to using every opportunity to add value to another person.  That’s why we are here.  Mohammad Ali said, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

I also realized that the service you do will mostly be small and passing events each day, and that is ok.  Aesop said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

My friend was one of the happiest people I ever knew, and a life of service was his secret. Helen Keller said, “The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.”