Inspiration and Life

What Will You Be and Do?

What is society doing to us?

What a wonderful time to be alive! We have so much freedom to become who we want and do as we wish. We can stumble through life doing the bare minimum to get by or become wealthy and famous. We can go from poverty to riches to poverty and back again.

Ultimately, it is our choice of how we live our lives, and the thing that limits us most is ourselves!

Today’s society

Today’s reality is that most of us are not lazy, although some are. Some do everything possible to move forward and upward in life, while others barely lift a finger. Which are you?

Why point to these extremes? Because each is possible and allowed in today’s society. Some see it as their right to do as they please; for others, it is an irresponsible attitude.

“The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.” James Baldwin 1824–1987)

Not all societies around the world are the same. I recall a trip to Turkey many years ago where I went to an international company meeting and visited our plant in Izmir.

The local managing director commented that they maintained zero unemployment in his country! I questioned how this could be possible. He said matter-of-factly, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” So far as I could tell, he was right. Every person seemed to be doing something. Even kids around the city were at least selling breadsticks! It was a different experience than any country I had visited in the west.

In America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, we have a great deal of freedom, but how brave are we? With all that is happening in society today, many choose to remain silent rather than speak up and debate different opinions. Civility has become severely compromised and corrupted, especially in politics and with much of the mainstream media.

There is no doubt a cultural shift is happening in our country, as in many countries worldwide. But how and what we become remains to be seen. Fortunately, we can still individually choose our paths for the time being.

What will you be, and what will you do?

I recently came across a quote by John Foster, an American lawyer, military man, journalist, and diplomat who lived in the last century that struck me to my core. It states:

“It is a poor and disgraceful thing not to be able to reply, with some degree of certainty, to the simple questions, ‘What will you be? What will you do?’” John Foster (1888–1959)

Has society changed so much since Foster’s time that his statement is no longer relevant? Admittedly, things have changed a great deal in the past 100 years. The welfare state did not exist in his time. There are so many distractions in life now compared to then; how does one find time to think about such things as what we will be or do? Are too many of us simply choosing the path of least resistance — the path to not finding or making time for what is important?

I regularly write and publish because I believe every person should know what they will be and do. Why wouldn’t you think about such things if you desire a fruitful, productive, fulfilling life? That is where our freedom comes in. How can you criticize someone for taking a different path through life when society condones practically everything?

“Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, may have the opportunity to earn respect, responsibility, advancement and remuneration based on ability.” Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)

Although society permits almost any lifestyle, that does not negate the fact that you can only answer Foster’s questions if you are mature and responsible. Many people come to this conclusion at some age. After all, who doesn’t want to be a responsible person and possess some level of maturity?

The counterculture movement that started in the ’60s created much of what we deal with today. My generation of baby boomers is the original “Me” generation. A generation of many people who think about themselves first. What could be more selfish and less mature than that?

“Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.” P. J. O’Rourke (1947–2022)

Fortunately, some have outgrown that selfishness. Some care about what we will be and what we will do. While this change can occur at any age, the older we get, the more likely it will happen.

Final thoughts

“You are free to choose, but the choices you make today will determine what you have, be, and do in the tomorrow of your life.” Zig Ziglar (1926–2012)

I hope every person reading this will take Foster’s questions seriously. When I was a young man, I had no idea what I would be or do, yet once I married and became a father, it started to make sense. Looking back over many decades, I cannot imagine being where I am today without having considered Foster’s and other such “be and do” questions.

I’m sure some of you can answer the questions, and for those who can’t, I hope this essay sparks your interest to begin doing so!

Giving serious thought to what you will be and what you will do is essential to living a good life for those you love and yourself. It will also help you avoid many regrets as you age.

What is your answer to the two questions?

“What will I be?”

“What will I do?”

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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

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