What do you want on your headstone?
It may seem a little morbid to think about right now, but what do you want your headstone to say about you?
If you were to write one sentence that would be your headstone inscription and summed up who you were and what you did with your life; how would it read?
Would it talk about your personality, ambition, generosity, humor, love, creativity, or your goals?
Would it describe who you are? Or would it describe who you want to become?
Take some time to think long and hard about this. You may be surprised to find out that this simple sentence may sum up your ultimate purpose and goals in life.
If you already know what you want your headstone to say and you’d like to share it with us, please post in the comment section below.
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39 Responses to “What do you want on your headstone?”
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I don’t think this idea is morbid at all. Our own funerals are the best chance to summarize everything we stood for in our lives. This is a great exercise to do while we are alive because we still have time to influence the outcome.
The hard part is limiting it to only one sentence.
Maybe for me.
“Always gave more than he took” or
“Lived life to the fullest”
Here are some I don’t want to see.
“Watched a lot of TV.”
“Had some big dreams but didn’t do anything about them.”
“Had potential but was too chicken.”
“King of the fat and lazy department”
Hey John,
Glad you didn’t think the idea was morbid!
Yeah, it is pretty difficult to summarize an entire lifetime in one sentence.
“Always gave more than he took” I really, REALLY like that one!
I’m sure no one would say the other ones at someone’s funeral or have it inscribe on a headstone, but sadly, those statements are true for a lot of people.
Thanks for sharing,
-Andrew
Not really morbid, but the optimist in me says: “Headstone? What headstone? This dude is living forever!”
Seriously, if Raymond Kurzweil is right, radical life extension tech will be available within 15 years. It’s not quite immortality, but it offers at least the potential of perpetual loop where as you live longer due to life extension tech (medicine and other) more radical life extension tech becomes possible to extend that even more etc..
Anyway, what I’d like on my headstone if that does happen would probably be something like: “Helped upgrade humanity for the 22nd century”.
I’ve already thought about my biggest goals in life and they involve two major things: 1. founding the web media company that produces awesome material that promotes mind liberating philosophies and the evolution of the human individual and 2. being among the SpaceSteading pioneers, in some manner. If first is successful the second becomes easier and the maximum is actually building a spacestead in orbit. 
OK yea, I may be a little crazy.
Cheers
Hi Daniel,
Personally, for me, I don’t want to extend my life again and again and live for say 200 to 500 years. I think that’s just too much time. I feel that having a life that long would demotivate because I have so much time to achieve my goals that I don’t really have to chase them right now, because I’ve got 200 years left. It kind of removes a bit of purpose from life.
It’s interesting though, but not really for me.
-Andrew
That’s quite understandable. For me it’s just a nice thing to hope for, but I’m definitely counting with a normal life span and trying to achieve as much as soon as possible.
And if I do get a chance to live longer I’m thinking I’d take it, to achieve even more. As a geeky scifi fan I’m the kinda guy who really would love to see things like colonizing other planets, world peace and traveling at warp speeds across the galaxy. Maybe in time I change and begin caring less for that stuff and accepting the present more, but that’s just how I am now.
Cheers
Hey – I totally understand your viewpoint too! I can’t even imagine what type of advances in technology will happen in the future. It would be really cool to be around to see flying cars, teleporting, space travel, and life on Mars.
I think you have a better mindset than others though. Many want to be around long, but don’t really plan on really living during those years. They just want to exist.
-Andrew
Nothing here
“Vini. Visti. Venci.” Well, not really but that would be fun. Actually, I would (I plan on being cremated) say my name, the dates, and something along the lines of “devoted husband of Celeste and loving father of Landon, Rodrigo, and Serena.” My personal thought is to keep it simple and let others define your legacy.
@ Antony – that’s interesting. Is it because you believe your body is just your shell and your soul goes somewhere else?
@ Tyler – Letting others define your legacy is a great idea too. You might leave different impressions on different people.
Thanks for responding guys.
-Andrew
life is a lesson and he learnt what all he could on the path of self-discovery. in the end, salvation lies within… he loved nirvana.
“Thank God that over with”
Hi Pals,
I have always lived my life with what ever i had at every moment of life.Always tried everything with what ever i had.
So my head stone will say “I have lived my life well”"i have lived it with what i had”.
“Rock-N-Roll Outlaw”
Here, hold my beer and watch this…
For me I’d like it to say: Went to the end of the internet and back. Queen of slacking off at work!
“Here lies Ned
Why? Becouse he’s dead”
I am not dead. I am alive in my children and grandchildren’s hearts…
Thanks for sharing everyone.
Linda – that’s a great one!
-Andrew
She loved and was loved
Nice one Helen!
-Andrew
“I told you I was sick”
Good question……
I often think about this because it is a reflection of how you live your life and how others percive you.
Anyway, I think I would like my head stone to read:
“Made a great difference in so many lives”
“She refused to be a wall-flower.”
Gone from here, but alive in heaven!
Thanks for sharing Monika and Rhonda!
-Andrew
I know what I want on my Tombstone:
Peperoni, Mushrooms, and extra cheese!!!!
mine would say:
“brb, lol”
having no life in death is nothing special i guess.
Well i would like something like this:
I’m laying under this stone and you read this, it would bbe much better tthat you are laying here and I’m reading this. Sorry if it sounds stupd, but i couldn’t translate it in eng. any better…
T.E.A.R.D.R.O.P.
To Ever Accept Reality Daily Receiving One’s Purpose
I told you I didn’t feel well
In here lies the body of (my name), lived a full life, who she was and what she had done, only God knows.
Very interesting one Norilyn.
Thanks for sharing!
-Andrew
i love my bed so when i go 2 a better land (heaven) i have already told my family i want 2 b buried in my pj’s with -sleeping peacefully forever-on my headstone
[...] – What do you want on your headstone? [...]
With her beautiful uniqueness she always inspired and encouraged others not to fear to be the individual they were born to be.
Thanks so much for sharing Irina.
-Andrew
Somehow, I don’t think I’ll ever die.
otherwise, then: “Lived his dream, and died a hero”
I love that one!
-Andrew
Here lies Jose, son of his father, grandson of his grandfathers, and (maybe) father of his children.
Lots of voices down here bring ear mufs please