Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no days, no hours or minutes.All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will all expire.The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Your gender, skin color, ethnicity will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built；not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
-treasure [ˈtreʒə（r）]v.珍重，珍爱
典型例句
He treasures your letters.
他把你的信看得非常宝贵。
最常用法
treasure sth.up 珍藏某事物
联想记忆
cherish v.珍爱
fortune n.财产，大笔的钱
-temporal [ˈtempərəl]adj.暂时的
典型例句
The present world crisis should in principle be analysed from different temporal perspectives.
原则上说来，目前的世界危机应该从不同的时间角度加以分析。
联想记忆
temporary adj.暂时的，临时的
tempt v.吸引，引诱，诱惑
-shrivel [ˈʃrɪvl]v.枯萎，干枯
典型例句
The leaves shrivelled（up）in the sun.
叶子在阳光下都蔫了。
最常用法
shrivel sth.up 使某物枯萎
联想记忆
shrink v.起皱，收缩
-irrelevance [ɪˈreləvəns]n.无关紧要，不相关
典型例句
His idea was rejected as an irrelevance.
他的想法被认为离题而遭否定。
最常用法
irrelevance of 和……不相关
联想记忆
irrelevant adj.无关的
-grudge [grʌdʒ]n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉
典型例句
He grudges her earning more than he does.
他嫉妒她挣的比他多。
最常用法
grudge against sb.嫉妒某人，怨恨某人
have/bear/hold a grudge 怀有怨恨
联想记忆
hate v.讨厌
dislike v.不喜欢
-resentment [rɪˈzentmənt]n.忿恨
典型例句
All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.
她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
最常用法
resentment at/against/of 对……怨恨
feel/bear resentment 感觉/怀有怨恨
联想记忆
resent v.对……表示忿恨，怨恨
resemble v.像，类似于
-frustration [frʌˈstreɪʃn]n.挫折，阻挠
典型例句
Anna was almost crying with frustration.
安娜沮丧得几乎要哭了。
最常用法
in/with frustration 挫折
联想记忆
frustrate v.使沮丧，使灰心
-jealousy [ˈdʒeləsɪ]n.妒忌，猜忌
典型例句
Her beauty causes envy and jealousy.
她的美貌惹来嫉妒和羡慕。
最常用法
a pang/stab of jealousy 突然而来的妒忌之情
联想记忆
jealous adj.妒忌的，猜忌的
envy n.&v.妒忌，羡慕
-disappear [ˌdɪsəˈpɪə（r）]v.不见，消失
典型例句
His anger soon disappeared.
他的怒气一会儿就消了。
最常用法
do a disappearing act 失去踪影
disappear from view/sight 从视野中消失
disappear without trace 消失得无影无踪
联想记忆
disappearance n.消失，失踪
appear v.出现，显露
-.ambition [æmˈbɪʃn]n.抱负，雄心
典型例句
You will achieve your ambition if you work hard.
如果你努力，你的抱负是可以实现的。
最常用法
achieve/fulfil/realize an ambition 达成/实现抱负
lifelong ambition 夙愿
an ambition to do sth./of doing sth.做某事的雄心
联想记忆
dream n.梦想
-.expire [ɪkˈspaɪə（r）]v.期满，终止
典型例句
Our present lease on the flat expires next month.
我们这套公寓的租约下月到期。
最常用法
expire in/on/at 截止到
联想记忆
expiration n.终止，届期，期满
deadline n.最后期限
-.fade [feɪd]v.褪色，凋落，衰弱
典型例句
Will the colour in this material fade?
这块料子的颜色褪色吗？
最常用法
fade away 散开
fade（sth.）in/out 清晰度逐渐增强/减弱
联想记忆
weaken v.变弱，减弱
-.ethnicity [eθˈnɪsəti]n.种族地位，种族渊源
典型例句
He said his ethnicity had not been important to him.
他说他的种族渊源对他向来都不重要。
联想记忆
ethnic adj.种族的
ethnical adj.人种的；种族的
race n.人种
-.significance [sɪgˈnɪfɪkəns]n.意义，意思，重大
典型例句
Few people realized the significance of the discovery.
很少有人意识到这一发现的重要性。
最常用法
significance of……的意义
grasp/appreciate the significance（of sth.）领会/理解（某事的）意义
联想记忆
significant adj.意义重大的
importance n.重要性
meaning n.意义
-.integrity [ɪnˈtegrətɪ]n.正直，诚实
典型例句
He’s a man of integrity；he won’t break his promise.
他为人诚实正直，决不食言。
联想记忆
upright adj.正直的
honest adj.诚实的，正直的
-.compassion [kəmˈpæʃn]n.同情，怜悯
典型例句
The plight of the refugees arouses our compassion.
难民的困苦引起我们的同情。
最常用法
compassion for 对……同情
feel/show/have compassion 感觉怜悯/表示同情/有同情心
联想记忆
compassionate adj.表示怜悯的，有同情心的
mercy n.慈悲，仁慈
sympathy n.同情，同情心
-.sacrifice [ˈsækrɪfaɪs]n.牺牲
典型例句
Her parents made many sacrifices so that she could go to university.
她父母为她上大学在多方面作了牺牲。
最常用法
make sacrifices 作出牺牲
联想记忆
lose v.失去
-.empower [ɪmˈpauə（r）]v.授权
典型例句
The lawyer was empowered to pay all her bills.
律师被授权偿付她的一切费用。
最常用法
be empowered to do sth.被授权做某事
联想记忆
authorize v.授权，批准
enable v.使能够，使可能
-.emulate [ˈemjuleɪt]v.赶超某人，与某人竞争
典型例句
You must work hard to emulate your sister.
你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
最常用法
emulate sb.at sth.在某事上赶超某人
联想记忆
rival v.竞争
compete v.竞争，比赛
-.competence [ˈkɔmpɪtəns]n.能力，胜任
典型例句
No one doubts her competence as a teacher.
谁也不怀疑她能胜任教师工作。