He ain’t heavy…
Every day we wake to the
wonderment of life!
If you’re reading this and
think you’ve got it bad, keep in mind that there are about 6 billion people on
the planet that would love to trade paces with you, right now!
You know what’s truly
amazing? We breathe spontaneously; our hearts pound away without prompt;
photons hit our eyes only to be reversed and transformed into vivid images; we
learn every day… increasing our knowledge of ‘things…’ even as we age.
Need more? Look in the
mirror. If you’re wondering whom that
old person is staring back at you, pause to marvel at where you’ve been, what
you’ve achieved, how you’ve lived, and loved. We are able to find joy in almost
everything, if we elect to do so.
So, you were delayed in
traffic. Maybe you were late for lunch. Your boss growled when you walked by.
Your pen ran out of ink. Your hair
curled when it started raining. Ketchup splashed on your silk shirt. So what?
No, really… so what?
I was trying to think of the
worst thing that happened to me today. I
can’t because I won’t, and because it simply isn’t worth it! Then, I started thinking of all the good
things that happened during my day…
I woke early and watched the
sunrise over nearby mountains. I enjoyed
an egg white McMuffin and a hot cup of coffee for breakfast… a 300-calorie
treat! I worked with a small,
high-performing team of geniuses, playing a small part in closing a business
deal that made people happy. My client often
says “It’s only worth doing if there’s a win, win, win…” Well, we won and so
did a new client, and so will our other clients, because of our newfound
knowledge and experience gained!
I had lunch at a beach café
overlooking a lake in a small city that I had not visited before. Later, dinner
with two close friends… a quiet setting with a band playing light jazz, at the
far side of the restaurant.
Then, a Skype call with my
wife, three thousand miles away, but safely at home. How happy and grateful I am to love, and be loved! In fact, someone once asked why some people –
including me – will only believe in something for which evidence can be
presented, or found. He used the example
of emotion, e.g. love. Asking: “Do you
believe in love? Surely you cannot have evidence of love?” Well… yes, I do have evidence of love…
because love without evidence is called stalking!
Today, do you still make room
in your daily life for the homophobia, hatred, racism and intolerance taught to
you as a child? If the answer is yes, then that’s too bad, and very, very sad.
We have been granted a
maximum of about 90 summers – 75 on average – depending on macro socio-economic
circumstances and the life situation
you had been born into. How you choose
to spend those summers is entirely up to you, despite occasionally experiencing
sometimes overwhelming, external influences.
75 Summers…
although “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.”
The song by Kenny and Fitzgerald (1944) was perhaps more familiar than
the original lyric poetry work “Rainy
Day” (by Henry Longfellow; 1842).
"And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart!
and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall…"
Even a
fellow as miserable as Longfellow couldn’t help but add, “Behind the clouds the
sun is still shining.” No one can bring
you down, not if you refuse to be brought down!
Create your
own poetry… cherish your love, and those who love you, life for the moment
because it too shall pass.
