The title is a line from William Faulkner’s 1930 novel, As I Lay Dying. I don’t know if you believe in an afterlife or not. But the line Faulkner wrote during the 168 or so odd hours he spent writing this story, from the hours of midnight to 4 am over the course of six weeks, captures not only our imagination but our emotions. It’s not lost on me that 168 hours is also the number of hours in one week. Nor is it lost on me that this work was produced in 1929 while Faulkner while worked night shifts at the University of Mississippi Power House. I suppose keeping tabs on a power plant at night isn’t arduous enough work to prevent a writer from writing. But then again, perhaps nothing is powerful enough to prevent a true writer from writing. He’s just gotten married and was only 32. 
I’m well past 32, but the line he wrote in the wee hours of one night in 1929 provides sober notions of what really matters in our life. And provides some sense of urgency about what we must do with life in this sphere. 
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In 2016 a TED talk was published featuring Robert Waldinger, the current director of a 75-year study on adult development. In the presentation, Dr. Waldinger, a psychiatrist, asks and answers the question, “What makes a good life?” I only take issue with the lack of spiritual considerations, but you should take about 13 minutes and watch it. Spoiler alert: it’s relationships!
It’s not money. Or fame. Or power. It’s people. It’s connection. 
From a work perspective – and even a personal perspective – our lives are largely measured by the people in our lives. Those we surround ourselves with. Those who allow us to surround them. 
“Memory believes before knowing remembers.” 
That’s another line from the novel. Brilliant enough to make me envious of Faulkner’s wordsmithing talents. 
Hitting the trifecta of business building is hard work. Doable, but hard. 
Sometimes getting new customers seems impossible. Or it seems like we just can’t accomplish it with any measure of predictability. 
Sometimes serving existing customers is the hard part. No sooner have we gained a customer, but we face challenges to perform as we should. Systems and processes sometimes fail us. And our customers.
But today, I’m focused on the third leg of the trifecta – the not going crazy in the process. Some CEO’s and owners think it’s the froo-froo stuff they don’t want to think about, much less talk about. If that’s you, I empathize with you, but I’m not talking to you. Growing great is for more open-minded, and open-hearted business people. People willing to acknowledge that sometimes their business drives them nuts. But people unwilling to accept the notion that “that’s just how it is.”
This is about living. It’s about living in a way where we have far more great moments than not. Where we’re impacting people by helping them achieve levels of success unlikely without us. Where our suppliers, customers and employees – and their families – are all benefiting because of the business we own and operate. It’s the two words I admit drive me today: legacy and significance. 
I don’t consider Faulkner’s words to be so morose.  I consider them challenging. Challenging us to get to the heart of the matter. To face the reality of why we started our businesses, or why we currently own and operate them. Of all the things we could be doing instead of whatever it is we’re doing — we’re choosing to do this. Why?
Death is the end of life here. If we assume we’ll live to be 80 or older, it’s not a lot of time. You’re likely between the ages of 27 and 70. Maybe you’re younger. Maybe older.