On a final personal note, I want to repeat a question I constantly pose in my teaching: How many on their deathbeds wished they’d spent more time at the office—or watching TV? The answer is, No one. They think about their loved ones, their families, and those they have served.
Even the great psychologist Abraham Maslow, at the end of his life, put the happiness and fulfillment and contributions of his posterity ahead of his self-actualization (the top need of his famous “need hierarchy”). He called it self-transcendence.

This is so true with me. By far the greatest and most satisfying impact of the principles embodied in the 7 Habits comes out of the lives of my children and grandchildren.

For example, my nineteen-year-old granddaughter, Shannon, was “drawn” to serve the orphans of Romania and wrote Sandra and me of an epiphany one day after a little sick child threw up on her and then reached out for a hug. In that moment, Shannon inwardly resolved “I don’t want to live a selfish life anymore. I must spend my life in service.” As of this writing she has returned to Romania and is still serving the people.
All of our children are married and, with their spouses, have developed principle-based mission statements focused on service. To see them live these mission statements gives us joy in our posterity.