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Written by: 4/11/2010 3:44 PM
A woman who is dear to me just lost an important mentor in her life to an avalanche. Death comes to us all and no one who lives for any period of time escapes its touch. The face of death has changed in my perception from a cruel reality best not thought of at all to a constant presence in my consciousness that has the power to tackle all fear.
If you can tackle just this one thought, that death will soon strip us of all cares, concerns, materials, and insecurities, then you can muster the courage to tackle the world. Knowing that at some unknown point, beyond our powers to control, you and I will lose everything to death, you become free. Ask yourself each day, is the time I pass now going to be spent achieving something you will most certainly be willing to give your precious breath to achieve or merely to acquire more things death will eventually free you from anyway?
We hear stories of great men and women who sacrificed their lives for a dream or a cause. We build statues in their memory as a sign of respect, but also to remind ourselves what it means to live with purpose. These people stand out in history because they lived with passion and often gave their lives to that passion. What escapes me is that the rest of us don’t realize we too are giving our lives to a cause every day we wake and take a breath. We have a choice to make each day, will we give our lives for the status quo, three weeks vacation, and two cars in the garage, or will you make each breath count and live for your passion, whatever that may be.
I ask myself often, is what I am doing today exactly what I want to be doing? Upon hearing of the loss of my friend’s mentor, I asked myself this question again. The desire in my heart to continue what I’ve started is so strong that I cried out audibly to the seals and the gulls around me, Yes.
A life of passion is no easy life. The transient life I find myself in is full of heartbreaking loss and goodbyes. The emptiness felt with each one only serves to highlight the other end of this spectrum. The times spent with the friends and lovers along this path are so full and rich that the goodbyes become so much more difficult. The only real danger of a life of passion seems to be the opening of oneself to the raw emotions of both joy and sorrow.
The song is what my friend has been listening to the past few days. I liked it so I am passing it on here.
7 comment(s) so far...
Re: Limited Time Hi, Lee,Well said! That's why I'm following your journey!Are you experiencing the changes from "life is short, why so serious?" to "life is short, we have to be serious?" :)May I add: the dramas of our world unfolded in history as well as today, on land or sea (:)), are all due to the very facts that our lives appear futile and ephemeral, driven by urges and emotions to feed, seek, and procreate (not that they're bad, they're necessary). We can be more humane and conscious. Yet we all have a desire for a culminating fulfilling story - mythology, religion, or Shakespeare.Take care, Sailor!
Re: Limited Time
Hi, Lee,Well said! That's why I'm following your journey!Are you experiencing the changes from "life is short, why so serious?" to "life is short, we have to be serious?" :)May I add: the dramas of our world unfolded in history as well as today, on land or sea (:)), are all due to the very facts that our lives appear futile and ephemeral, driven by urges and emotions to feed, seek, and procreate (not that they're bad, they're necessary). We can be more humane and conscious. Yet we all have a desire for a culminating fulfilling story - mythology, religion, or Shakespeare.Take care, Sailor!
Re: Limited Time LeeThank you for sharing . You are so right everyone needs to look into their heart and ask the ? What do I want my life to represent? I know for myself that what I am doing right now feels fulfilling .As a survivor of Breast Cancer the fear is always their but I push that away and share my story with the patients I treat and they are greatful to know that I understand them fully. I also choose to live my life with simplicity and to enjoy every aspect of life that crosses my path. That's why I follow your journey it reminds me to continue to give freely and to be more humane . The world needs to be a better place if we could all just get a glimse of what you said. We can't take it with us but we sure can make a life along the way a little bit easier.
LeeThank you for sharing . You are so right everyone needs to look into their heart and ask the ? What do I want my life to represent? I know for myself that what I am doing right now feels fulfilling .As a survivor of Breast Cancer the fear is always their but I push that away and share my story with the patients I treat and they are greatful to know that I understand them fully. I also choose to live my life with simplicity and to enjoy every aspect of life that crosses my path. That's why I follow your journey it reminds me to continue to give freely and to be more humane . The world needs to be a better place if we could all just get a glimse of what you said. We can't take it with us but we sure can make a life along the way a little bit easier.
Re: Limited Time I get what you are saying. Two points. First, while I may lose everything material to death, I gain much more from it. That, I suppose is, whether you have faith and believe. Secondly, I am a bit offended by the status quo comment. Not because I am sitting here in my cube working for someone else, but because you have status quo and passion mutually exclusive. I have passion for being a great husband and a great father. It will drive me to have an awesome lifetime relationship with my wife, and it will drive me to be a great father to my kids. The passion in my life may not get me a statue sitting in the center of town. It does not mean I do not see the results of it. I see my son being kind to other children. I see my daughter take pride in herself because she learned a new word. It is the little things. I pray that my passion will help my children to be kind, loving, strong and generally great people. And that they will give my passion for those things to their children. If those are the results I will continue to see. Then I will be more than happy. But you have given me an idea. I am going to make a statue out of paperclips and put in here in my cube.
I get what you are saying. Two points. First, while I may lose everything material to death, I gain much more from it. That, I suppose is, whether you have faith and believe. Secondly, I am a bit offended by the status quo comment. Not because I am sitting here in my cube working for someone else, but because you have status quo and passion mutually exclusive. I have passion for being a great husband and a great father. It will drive me to have an awesome lifetime relationship with my wife, and it will drive me to be a great father to my kids. The passion in my life may not get me a statue sitting in the center of town. It does not mean I do not see the results of it. I see my son being kind to other children. I see my daughter take pride in herself because she learned a new word. It is the little things. I pray that my passion will help my children to be kind, loving, strong and generally great people. And that they will give my passion for those things to their children. If those are the results I will continue to see. Then I will be more than happy. But you have given me an idea. I am going to make a statue out of paperclips and put in here in my cube.
Re: Limited Time I don't think there is anything more admirable than being passionate about being a good father and husband. Having passion for what you are doing isn't limited to nut job moves like trying to sail singlehanded around the world. I don't see the status quo as an inherently bad thing at all. Only that for most people there is a path that has already been laid out for them. High school, college, job, marriage, family... I don't think the majority of people stop to question if that path is one they are following as a cognizant choice or simply because it is the expected norm. There is no reason a person can't be fulfilled choosing that path as their own and I am sure many more who never stop to question at all and are perfectly happy. I think the important part is making a choice. On the other hand, I hear from many people who were like myself. Following that path only to find it wasn't my own and that there was no satisfaction in the effort of doing so. Breaking from that norm can be terrifying.The rewards of the afterlife may be great, but the rewards of this lived lived to the fullest are pretty incredible too. Fear of making a change shouldn't keep anyone from pursuing their passion. Keeping a perspective on death is one way to level that fear.Oh, send me a pic of that paperclip statue? And give that family of yours my love as well.Weide & Patricia: As always, thanks. Weide, if I ever start taking things too seriously I am going to be in big trouble. Patricia, keep up the good work and please say hi to everyone back in TX.
I don't think there is anything more admirable than being passionate about being a good father and husband. Having passion for what you are doing isn't limited to nut job moves like trying to sail singlehanded around the world. I don't see the status quo as an inherently bad thing at all. Only that for most people there is a path that has already been laid out for them. High school, college, job, marriage, family... I don't think the majority of people stop to question if that path is one they are following as a cognizant choice or simply because it is the expected norm. There is no reason a person can't be fulfilled choosing that path as their own and I am sure many more who never stop to question at all and are perfectly happy. I think the important part is making a choice. On the other hand, I hear from many people who were like myself. Following that path only to find it wasn't my own and that there was no satisfaction in the effort of doing so. Breaking from that norm can be terrifying.The rewards of the afterlife may be great, but the rewards of this lived lived to the fullest are pretty incredible too. Fear of making a change shouldn't keep anyone from pursuing their passion. Keeping a perspective on death is one way to level that fear.Oh, send me a pic of that paperclip statue? And give that family of yours my love as well.Weide & Patricia: As always, thanks. Weide, if I ever start taking things too seriously I am going to be in big trouble. Patricia, keep up the good work and please say hi to everyone back in TX.
Re: Limited Time Jeremy and Lee.Well said on both of your parts!!
Jeremy and Lee.Well said on both of your parts!!
Re: Limited Time Well said!I got it. Understood where you were going with your point, and was not offended at all . Keep it coming .Hope to see you againg in the future.If the opportunity ever arises for me I will be doing the same thing . In the meantime I will continue to be a partime SAILOR.
Well said!I got it. Understood where you were going with your point, and was not offended at all . Keep it coming .Hope to see you againg in the future.If the opportunity ever arises for me I will be doing the same thing . In the meantime I will continue to be a partime SAILOR.
Re: Limited Time Inspirational as all ways Lee. I often find myself asking the question "Is today the day?" at the most random times.My thoughts don't dwell on it, but it's like having fear when you're doing something somewhat risky. The fear helps focus your mind and ends up keeping you safe. Keeping death in the back of your mind keeps your life pointed in the right direction.
Inspirational as all ways Lee. I often find myself asking the question "Is today the day?" at the most random times.My thoughts don't dwell on it, but it's like having fear when you're doing something somewhat risky. The fear helps focus your mind and ends up keeping you safe. Keeping death in the back of your mind keeps your life pointed in the right direction.