I am going to tell you a few stories that come to mind.  It was all brought on, when I started writing in this topic:

Do you have to be religious for life to have purpose?

------------------------------------------------------
A few years back, I really started trying to figure out the purpose to why we were alive, and what was the meaning for us all to be living? To me, people live, and then they die.. When you actually think about someone's life, its quite short..  Possibly living 100, years (if your lucky) that's really such a short time to the grand scheme of things.

So when I started to look at those 100 years of my life, and how I would live them day in and day out, I wondered, what was my purpose, and would I ever be remembered.

I started to think back as far as I could remember, about my Great Great Grandma/Grandpa.  What did I know about them?  Not just their name, or where they lived, but really knew who they were.
1) What did they accomplish in their life?
2) What did they do so amazing, or so terrible, for them to possibly be remembered for generations to come?

I didnt know anything about either of them.  That made me realize, that they had done (NOTHING) to be remembered.  Nothing.  Nothing good, and Nothing Bad.
---------------------------------
I came to the conclusion, there are 2 rules to my theory.
---------------------------------
1) You can be remembered for something you do extremely great, or you were famous in your life.

* Example: You became president, you were a TV star, you discovered the next cure to cancer, etc...
---------------------------------
2) You can be remembered for something you do extremely terrible, and you were hated so much in your life.

* Example: You killed someone famous, you destroyed something sacred, you were a criminal, etc...
---------------------------------
So I started really thinking about all those people that get forgotten in their life times, and they didnt do anything from the above to be possibly remembered, and you just are forgotten.

One of my goals in life is to be remembered.

Not just to my kids, kids. 
But to my kids, kids, kids, kids...

I want to make such and impact in life, that my kids, kids, kids, kids can hear stories about how I changed the world, and how I contributed to making this world a better place.
---------------------------------
I have asked nearly over 100 people this question.

Q: What can you tell me about either your great great grandma or grandpa?

** Most people cannot answer this question ** 
---------------------------------
If you can, its probably because they had done something so great, that your great grandma/grandpa decided to pass it down to your grandma/grandpa, that passed it down to your mother/father for you to remember.

Well thats a lot of people to be passed down through.  What about your great great great?

What did they do in life?  Maybe they were the nicest people in the world, and they lived the best life possible, but you dont know ANYTHING about it.  Why is that?  Why is it that our lives are forgotten.
When you think that everyday you live, is a day to accomplish something to be remembered, and not forgotten, you start to realize how petty things are that we worry about.

Who cares about the small stuff.  Who cares you forgot to wash the car, or got a C in school.  Thats not the end of your life, and it wont be the last failure or last mistake.

I got out of the military as an E-5.  I knew I was getting out at 4 years.  But I decided to remain in Japan, and re-enlisted for 4 more years to continue my relationship with my wife.  At 6 years I knew for beyond a doubt, I was done with the military, and there was a better planned life for me outside the Navy.  For the next 2 years I did everything I could, to become marketable to the outside world.  I knew at that time, I was going to start this website.  I knew at that time, I was going to be telling you this story.  I just knew.  I dont know how, or why, I just knew.  Everyone that is in the military, time will come when you have to realize your time is almost up.  I dont care if your getting out before 20 years, or after 20 years, everyone has a time, when they have to cut the ties and realize in their mind "its all most over."  I can still remember my time.  This day, I will never forget for the rest of my life.  This is how it went:

"On my last E-6 exam, it was 6 months from getting out of the navy, they said I had to take the test, even though the last 2 I didnt even try, and pretty much Christmas tree'd..  Sorry I did..  Had to say it.
But here I am, going in, for this last exam, and as the exam started, I was in and out in less than 2.5 minutes.  I remember walking up to the table to hand in my test, and the chief looked at me, (didnt say a word) and I said, "Am I good?"  he looked up from the test, and said, "you must be getting out of the navy soon?" I said yup..  he said, yeah your good..  I just had the biggest smile on my face, because I knew I was almost there.  This was the moment I had when I realized the next step of my life was beginning.  I remember walking right outside the A club, and when I got outside, I had so much energy I looked up at the sky with both hands in the air, and said "ALMOST THERE, ALMOST THERE.."

I knew this was the moment in my life that everything would start to change.  I realized in that moment, it was where I started to not think for the military, but think for myself, and to create my own destiny and path for my life.  On that test, I put down "200 A's...  200 A's were bubbled in on that test, and I actually had given it a lot of thought, because when I write my book, my title is going to be called, "200 A's and my plan for success."

Its funny I am writing all this down here on my website, but its good, because I can come back and read this from years down the road, and realize just like I do now, "I had a plan and went after it."  The reason why I am writing a book, is to showcase the title of this forum topic.

What can you tell me about your great great grandmother/grandfather?

I want my family to pass this book down, so my kids, kids, kids, kids can know who I was, and what I was about.

If you dont do something memorable in your life, you will just be forgotten.  Do you want to just be forgotten?
This way that I have started to think has changed my life.  It truly has.  I didnt need some expensive get my rich seminar, or books and videos to tell me how to live my life.  I just live my life, with the simple fact to one day be remembered for all the good I accomplish, and to help people.  I just wish there were more people out there, that could lend a helping hand from time to time..  Thanks for reading..  Tell me, if you do know your great great grandma/grandpa below.  I would like to hear from those below that do, and why they were remembered. I have not found anyone that knew anything about either of them...  I mean truly knew about them..

Great-great-grandparents: Andreas Andresen born 1791 in Hajstrup a small village in the parish of Bylderup (Denmark). Married Juliana Maria Rieber of Suderlugum (now Germany)in 1845. Occupation recorded in Tonder (Denmark) as Kaufman (merchant) in 1845. Son, Martin Rudolf, born in 1847. Died in 1879 (age 88). Discover your family tree at Ancestry.com.

Adam, not to go off topic, but along the lines of great great grandparents and how they are remembered...

In my mother's family, there is some inconsistencies about my great great grandmother. Half of the ones that knew her said she was quiet, shy and extremely patient and kind ith many friends. The other half say she was mean, strict and a hateful little old woman who no one liked. It's funny how different these descriptions of her are, and who really knows what she was like.

I think that's one of the reasons people scrapbook. For an heirloom to pass down. And I think it's a good idea to have something to pass down so family can have something to remember you by. But not in a 'look what I did' way...an 'I'm so special' way. I think that's a little self-serving.
Personally, I don't care if I'm remembered by 'the world'. Like I said in another post, I live in the now. I think it's enough to be remembered as a nice person(by my child/gchild) who was home when my child came home from school...helped him with his homework..went to his piano recitals..did what I could to make life easier for the hubby..etc.

Yes it's interesting to find out about the past, such as ancestors fleeing into the mountains to avoid the Nazis. I wouldn't be here if that one person didn't get away. He stood on the hill and watched all his family/friends lined up and shot. On the other side, my ancestors came over on one of the 3 ships, not sure which one. From the info I've gotten, from my gmother on up, most were very hard mountain men/women. I've seen pictures and they don't look too happy..

My goal used to be to be remembered. Then I realized that, for me at least, that wasn't a very good goal. Now, I don't care if NOBODY remembers my name -- my goal is to change the world, or at least my tiny corner of it, for the better...to do what's right, to bring some joy to the world, to lighten someone's burden, to inspire others to great things.

Someone might be famous for doing something wonderful -- but who remembers the name of the teacher or the parent who helped him become that person, or the doctor that made sure he didn't die of pneumonia as a child, or the business owner who gave him his first job and inspired him to do more? Maybe, for me, instead of trying to be John Hancock (mostly remembered for his big, flourished signature on the Declaration of Independence), my goal should be to try and be the guy who printed copies of the Declaration so others could read it....or the schoolteacher who insured Ben Franklin was encouraged rather than belittled...or the mother who made sure Thomas Jefferson had decent manners so he was accepted by his peers.

My great-great-great grandfather was Commodore Matthew C. Perry. Yeah, THAT Perry, of Black Ships fame. Some folks see him as the brave explorer who opened Japan to the world. Others see him as a bully who said "open up or I'll blow you to kingdom come." (And why is he the one who gets all the credit? He was there on the President's behalf, delivering a letter from the President, and under orders! Why doesn't President Fillmore get at least some credit?)

While I was in Japan, I was invited to Haigi, to meet the descendants of Yoshida Shoin, the guy who tried to get Perry to take him to the West so he could learn more about the outside world. Not only did Perry refuse to even meet with him, but Yoshida was arrested as a result of trying to stow away after Perry's refusal. Yoshida began a school while imprisoned, and eventually, several of his students became major figures in the Meiji Restoration.

I thought I was being invited to Haigi to basically make some sort of formal apology to Yoshida's descendants, but instead, they wanted to meet me to thank me for my ancestor's actions! Basically, I guess I'm trying to say that everything has two sides, and one person's hero is another person's nemesis...and you never know just how you will be remembered. Very few people today (especially outside Japan) know Yoshida's name -- yet his actions had a GREAT deal more to do with Japan joining the modern world than Perry's. And please don't get the impression that I am not proud of my ancestor -- I certainly am very proud to be his descendant (though I'm probably more proud of his title as "Father of the Steam Navy"). He WAS part of the reason Japan opened its doors to the outside world -- it just wasn't as some courageous explorer/diplomat but rather as a Naval officer following orders.

I see lots of people (including a CO I know) who are so busy trying to polish their own names that they're stepping on the people around them -- and instead of being known as the Great People they think they should be, they're actually seen as self-involved jerks out for nothing more than "taking all the credit".

If, at the end of my life, I can look back and think "I did good things. I stood up for what was right and did what was difficult when it was the right thing to do. I encouraged others and didn't compromise my principles," then I will die a happy person, regardless of whether or not I get credit for what I've done...regardless of whether anyone remembers my name.

My Big Mama was a Beast I remember watching her run around the yard holding the hem of her night dress in one hand and a frying pan in the other chasing down her Great Great Grandkids no less. She died about 4 years ago in her sleep and of old age (Take that Anti Tobbaco activest!). And when she died it was the first time for me that I learned that "Big Mama" wasn't her name (I was 22 at the time).