All you have are stories

All you have are stories:

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All you have are stories.

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Stories with friends.

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Stories with family.

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Stories with colleagues.

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Memories with those you love.

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That’s all you take to the grave.

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Just got back from a funeral.

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It was for my first mentor in medical school.

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The top kidney cancer doctor in Canada.

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He passed away 44 days after a cancer diagnosis.

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44 days.

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Man, life can change so quickly.

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One day you’re here and the next day you’re not.

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Do your trivial problems really matter?

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Does what you own really matter?

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Does your success really matter?

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Nope.

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It’s about the stories.

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It’s about the interactions you had with people throughout your life.

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Walking into the funeral home and during the ceremony, they had a slide show of pictures.

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A slide show of memories.

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Silly faces.

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Funny moments.

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Moments in time captured with those he loved.

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That’s it.

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That’s all that matters in the end.

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As Maya Angelou said ‘people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

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Give people a good feeling when they interact with you.

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Leave them feeling better than before they met you.

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Let go of trivial problems.

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Let go of the desire to impress people.

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Talk out your problems. 

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Don’t bottle them up.

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Don’t let stress eat you alive.

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Get rid of negativity in your life.

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Cherish every moment you have with those you love.

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Tell people you love them.

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Inspire people to live better lives.

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Work harder.

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Teach those behind you so they may outshine you.

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Leave your mark on people.

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Be yourself always and in all ways.

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Enjoy the moment because you never know when it’ll disappear.

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Spend more time on experiences with those you love.

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Create unforgettable memories.

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Write the best novel you can.

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Remember, when you’re lying in that coffin at the end, all you have are stories.

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