In eight years, I have gone from swinging around lightsabers with my next door neighbors to hanging out at local coffee shops with friends. It saddens me because my childhood dream was to grow up and become a Jedi Knight. I now know that such an occupation only exists in the movies.
Life has a way of doing that. Who you are now is not who you will be in ten or even eight years, as I am no longer my ten year-old self. I could very well end up as a nihilistic, flip-flopping politician, or teaching a math class at the junior high. Who knows?
Eight years ago, I had no idea where I would be today. This is the enigma of our futures; it is so extravagant and amazing that nearly anything realistic is possible yet so frightening to know that the absolute worst is also just as probable, if not more likely. And that’s the funny thing. I can’t really figure any of this out. I feel as though some of my time has been wasted in trying to comprehend how everything works. You’ll begin to question whether your matter or what your purpose is. Simply don’t.
You can spend the rest of your existence trying your hardest to understand life. Maybe you’ll be the first one to figure everything out if you divert all of your energy into doing so, besides Buddha. I say that such an endeavor would be a waste of your time because chances are you’ll only figure life out after wasting it all away. I doubt that you can ever know what the meaning of your life is. The greater concern would be living it, rather than attempting to discover the science and reasons behind everything that you are. Besides, what would the point be?
Be curious. Become so fascinated with the universe and the world around you. Explore and set off on that adventure. Enjoy this freedom you have. Yes, be spontaneous and unravel the mystery you encounter once you set out from the refuge of your cozy bed. But be aware that once every bit of wonder is purged from life by your intention to intellectually assess every bit of it, then you will find that there isn’t much left.
The tragedy is that we lose ourselves to taking control of every aspect within our lives rather than living. The horror is that we end life before it begins. The downfall of us all lies in the idea that we have greater concern in finding the answers and reasons than enjoying and having gratitude in our lives. You can’t know your meaning. Your meaning will be perceived by the people you leave behind long after those last seconds of life.
Gandhi said, “Whatever you will do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” He is right. Nearly every single thing we do will somehow fade when we die. Almost all we build will someday crumble to pieces and our bodies will eventually decay into dust. The things that will last forever are those fingerprints we leave on other people’s lives.
Each of us has meaning. Sure, there are times along the way when we feel so useless and like a complete waste of oxygen. Regardless, every life leaves its mark, and every death will cause the formation of empty spaces throughout this universe.
Your words will speak volumes and the world you will leave behind will be different than it was when you first entered it. Every relationship you create will bridge energy from one life into another whether it is for a few thousand seconds or an entire lifetime. Your actions will mold yourself and others into whom they will be and who they are. In your hands is the power to change.
It will be insignificant when you do it. The action itself will not matter. But the effects it will have are what will hold the greatest amount of influence on others and the rest of the world. From your significance your power is originated.
Maybe you can’t eliminate poverty and establish peace throughout the world, but you can richen the lives around you and end conflicts with people you know. When we die, what is it that truly stays behind?
What remains are the memories and our echoes. The records of our history and recordings of our words will only exist when we choose to live. The meaning will only be visible or perceived long after the event takes place. You cannot know the sum of everything until everything has been included.
Keep an open mind, enjoy life, and never take anything for granted. Our future will be formed by what we do now, so just live.
When you die, the number of degrees you earn via a higher education will be insignificant. But with those skills you acquired by doing so you can change lives. Imagine a politician changing his district or the entire nation with his decisions. Imagine a junior high teacher inspiring his students to learn and exceed in all they do. When his term ends or summer break comes along, dozens of lives, hundreds of people, and an entire nation can be influenced beyond their comprehension.
What you do in life will be insignificant, yes. But we all must continue to do what we do, whatever it is. We have no idea what our actions will mean for others or the future. No one will know until we become a part of the history. Whether we are named in a text book in some paragraph about changes of this century, or we remain in photographs of a dusty old family album, what always remains are our memories, our imprints, and our legacies. We might all have the same type of DNA or the same kind of physical appearances as our fellow man, but the difference lies within. Inside each of us is the ability to do absolutely anything realistic and to do.
Don’t take life too seriously, but do your best not to take anything for granted. People are watching and what you do will matter.
Hear me now. You are part of something. You’re taking up space in someone’s life that no one else can fill. Whether it’s a friend, a loved one, or a family member, you matter. You may be one out of billions. Your voice might not be heard above all the others screaming out loud. Your pain might be the same as hundreds and your successes might be similar to thousands more, but you yourself are significant, should you choose to live.
You are significant. Make it so.
thanks man :)
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