Tuesday 24 October 2017

Do you have a reason to smile?

Have you ever thought you are about to die? Have you ever thought about it seriously? You might have cancer and not know it, or tomorrow your heart may cease to beat. You could have a car accident…

The only truth is that our existence on this earth is as short as the view of a falling star in the sky. Without even noticing, and if we are lucky enough to reach this stage, we will soon grow old.

This is not a manifesto about death, but a "reminder". Never forget that you are about to die. Yes, it’s a fact, you are about to die!

Sometimes we are so silly that we only think about it when it is too late; when we are really at the end of our life, or when we know we have an incurable illness.

This morning I woke up and felt angry because I am aware that time is fleeting and I'm still not giving the best to the world and to myself, and I don't know how long I have to live. I wish to live for a time long enough to wake up from this torpor. Why is it so difficult to wake up? Why should the inevitable always happen for us to understand?

This morning, more than anything else, I know death is not a distant thing. Why do not we live, even in the knowledge we will die? Why do we torment ourselves with useless paranoias? Why do we waste time in jobs we don’t really enjoy? Why don’t we say "I love you" to those we love? Why is it so difficult to be ourselves? Why do we hold firm on resentment? Why do we think about becoming rich and famous? Why, above all, do we forget the little time we have?

Get a notebook before you fall asleep and write down on how many smiles you have donated or received; what you have done for other people and for yourself in order to feel good, and what you have created for this world. Do you have at least one reason why this day has been useful? Do you have a reason to smile and for which to sleep peacefully?

If you do not have it, you have to rethink your life; what you are creating for yourself and others, and how you can change your miserable existence. Your time is running out, so don’t waste it.

Awaken yourself, and live for you and for those people who are about to die or who are already dead. Bring their love within you and give it back to the world. Wake up with a purpose. At evening go to bed with a smile on your face because you have a reason to do so! Face your fears and destroy them.
Let’s wake up from this anaesthesia! Death is close and it is our guaranteed companion. It reminds us there are beautiful things to which we no longer give value: the sky, the sea, the smile of an unknown person, words that give us emotions, beautiful music, intense hugs, loving looks, the hands of those people who work with passion, and the gestures of those people who live for others...