It's not often I blog about an article I've read without adding substantial commentary of my own, but I read one recently that really struck a chord with me.  As my recent posts make clear, I've been thinking a lot about what's important in life, and the values and norms that have evolved in industrialized societies.  Something else happened that also heightened the article's impact on me: a week and a half ago, my grandmother passed away.   

The article is entitled "How will you measure your life?" by Christian Christensen, an HBS professor.  A few excerpts in particular stood out for me (emphasis in bold is mine):

"When people who have a high need for achievement have an extra half hour of time or an extra ounce of energy, they’ll unconsciously allocate it to activities that yield the most tangible accomplishments.  And our careers provide the most concrete evidence that we’re moving forward. ...  

In contrast, investing time and energy in your relationship with your spouse and children typically doesn’t offer that same immediate sense of achievement. ...  

You can neglect your relationship with your spouse, and on a day-to-day basis, it doesn’t seem as if things are deteriorating. People who are driven to excel have this unconscious propensity to underinvest in their families and overinvest in their careers—even though intimate and loving relationships with their families are the most powerful and enduring source of happiness." 

Christensen goes on (yes he is a very religious man):

"I’ve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn’t dollars but the individual people whose lives I’ve touched.  I think that’s the way it will work for us all.  Don’t worry about the level of individual prominence you have achieved; worry about the individuals you have helped become better people." 

I included the two sentences I bolded in the the eulogy I delivered at my grandmother's funeral.  And I went on to say that by these measures, my grandmother -- a woman with no education who nurtured all who crossed her path -- realized a level of success in her life that most of us can only hope for.  

Please read the article.  It's a wake up call all too many of us probably need.  Then do me a favor.  Call your grandmother, if you're lucky enough to still have one.