Written by Prof. Mannixs E. Paul, PhD, FCFIP, FCIML, FCECFI, FFAR
If you look closely at how people chase after life, you’ll notice three familiar companions walking together: vanity, the hunger for wealth, and the desire to make a name. They often dress differently but come from the same root—the longing to be seen, valued, and remembered.
Vanity is where it starts. It’s more than caring about your appearance or wanting to do well. Vanity is that quiet idea that makes you worry about how you appear in the eyes of others. It makes you measure your worth by applause, likes, and compliments. It makes you restless when the spotlight moves away.
From there, the hunger for wealth often takes root. Money is not the villain—it can feed families, create opportunities, and build better futures. But when greed grows out of vanity, it becomes an endless race. You’re no longer earning to live; you’re earning to be seen as someone who has “made it.” Every new possession is less about use and more about display. And the strange thing? No matter how much you gather, it never feels quite enough.
Then comes the pursuit of a name—the urge to be remembered and spoken of long after you’re gone. There’s nothing wrong with leaving a legacy. But if that pursuit is driven by vanity and greed, it turns sour. You stop asking, What good can I do? and start asking, How can I be noticed? You build monuments to self instead of planting seeds that will grow in others.
History has seen it all before. Wealth fades. Fame shifts to the following shining figure. Names that once filled headlines are now barely footnotes. The truth is humbling: if your worth rests only on being admired, rich, or known, it will never be secure.
But there’s another way. You can live for what lasts—character, kindness, service, and truth. You can let wealth be a servant rather than a master. You can aim to be remembered not for how much you had, but for how much you gave. The greatest gift you can leave in this life is the good you do for others and the positive memories you plant in their hearts. Those are the treasures no thief can steal, no rust can destroy, and no time can erase. They are one of the few enduring legacies that outlive the tallest buildings and the loudest titles.
Ultimately, the question is simple: Do you want to impress or impact the world? One fades when you’re gone. The other keeps working long after you’ve left.
Courtesy of MEFoundation