Hold on to what is good,
even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
even if it's easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
even if I've gone away from you.
Photograph by: Manuel Librodo Jr. (Used with Permission)
"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."
-Einstein
Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
-Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918, Canon of St Paul's Cathedral
'The King of Terrors', a sermon on death delivered in St Paul's Cathedral on Whitsunday 1910, while the body of King Edward VII was lying in state at Westminster.
This is a fascinating Frontline show on the phenomena of Americans living longer than ever. What does it mean for you, for your family, and for our society? To view this powerful and insightful series, CLICK HERE
One of the most inspirational stories I've encountered. See the Team Hoyt Website
"In life as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard."
- Theodore Roosevelt
Youth is not entirely a time of life; it is a state of mind. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. "
- Douglas MacArthur
We search for a destiny,
That has no face:
To live with joy,
To die with grace.
Should we fail,
we still recall:
The destiny we chase.
We embark on a journey,
A destination without place.
We rise and fall;
But through it all,
it is our destiny we chase.
It is destiny we chase,
Its path unclear
fading without a trace;
But it is in the journey
we find joy.
And in our failures
We discover grace.
--John Fenzel
Photo ("Bosnia-7am") by: Mira Rajkovic. 1st Place Winner, Black and White Spider Awards, 2004
I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but….”
How often have you heard those words? From your parents? From well-meaning friends and relatives?
Invariably, the age-old comment is a prelude to a prescriptive soliloquy on what you are doing wrong—never, it seems, on what you are doing right!
As we all know, having experienced our fair share through the years, these pithy sermons-on-the-mount seldom lead to anything really constructive, except to make the preacher of the sermon feel a measure of control and self-importance, as if to say “you see, I know better.”
Chances are, he doesn’t. Chances are, in fact, he hasn’t been there or done that. As your eyes roll, your ego deflates and your posture slumps—all in succession—as you prepare yourself for the personal lecture that has been imposed upon you, the irony sets in: chances are, you’re living your life as well as anyone would in your circumstances—and, you’re doing things just fine, but you are doing things differently than the person delivering this message to you would intend for you—maybe not perfectly, but differently nonetheless.
“Wait! How I live my life,” you say to yourself, “is my business!”
And in that assertion, you are correct—as long as you are not doing harm to the world or people around you; how you live your life is, in fact, your business. Live and let live, etc..
“So what gives you the right…?” You want to say it, but you don’t. You grit your teeth and listen dutifully wishing restraint were not the prudent option.
This, too, shall pass….
You resist the urge to look at your watch as the sermon continues unabated. After a while, the words become garbled and unintelligible like those animated classroom lessons from Charlie Brown’s teacher in Peanuts.
Your resentment fades, you nod, and a smile crosses your face as you daydream about more pleasant things: a vacation only a few weeks away…that Moby tune you heard this morning on the radio—the one you can’t quite get out of your head…and then there’s the crumpled lottery ticket in your pocket. You’d forgotten about it. “Who knows?” You remember asking yourself as you bought it with your groceries the other night. “Life is half-chance ….”
Suddenly, like a messianic bolt from the blue, you are jolted upright by an epiphany.
“…half-chance, half choice….”
“Of course…” You utter out loud, startling your friend, the preacher. “Now it all makes sense!”
You smile broadly. A rush of adrenalin courses through your veins, reinvigorating you. Everything around you seems to be flashing brightly, in Technicolor.
“OF COURSE!” You exclaim excitedly.
“HOW I CHOOSE TO LIVE MY LIFE IS MY BUSINESS!”
Choosing how you live your life is the most important decision you will make during your lifetime. It is the most fundamental of decisions and the most momentous because it is your first step on the path to a better self and a more fulfilling future.
But it is only that: a first step.
There is a famous quote from A.J. Marshall that says, “Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans.”
Indeed, there is a certain sage, timeless ring to Marshall’s assessment because it conveys the idea that life is not altogether predictable—it is filled with opportunities and tragedies, twists and turns that were never on any map.
But for those who have chosen how they are living their lives, A.J. Marshall was wrong.
Dead wrong, in fact.
His concept applies only to those of us who choose to live their lives passively—allowing life to “happen” to them, and accepting all the debris it sends their way.
If, however, you choose an active approach to living your life, nothing you do just happens. You make it happen, because you are at the helm—the captain of your own ship.
Despite the feel-good song-and-dance that you see on TV infomercials and in self-help books, controlling your life is hard, at times grueling work, filled with uncertainty, obstacles and many potential setbacks along the way—certainly not for the faint of heart. As difficult as it is, however, it is also a straight-forward process—eminently doable with the right approach, the right tools and, most importantly, the right attitude.
Perhaps the most fundamental reality that escapes most of us in our lives is that the course is ours and ours alone to set. Life is composed of choices: how you manage and use your time…what you study…what you eat…who you count among your friends…how you raise your kids. All choices.
Your choices.
As you consider those choices, here are a few good articles and websites to explore:
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie [westegg.com]
World of Inspiration / Quotations about Life [worldofinspiration.com]
World of Inspiration / Quotations about Character [worldofinspiration.com]
Most of Your Unhappiness in Life is Due to... - Happiness [article-hunter.com]
Prioritizing Your Money: Putting your money to work in the most effective way [csinvestor.com]
Investopedia.com Tutorials: Building Blocks and the Basics of Investing [investopedia.com]
