I have heard that Ralph Barton, a cartoonist of a former
generation, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his life: “I have
had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to
wife, and from house to house, visited great countries of the world, but I am
fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day.”
Whatever psychological problems may have afflicted him,
Ralph Barton suffered from an empty life. He tried to fill it up – with
relationships and things and busyness. He was no doubt successful in his work.
And probably well-liked. His problem was that he felt his life had no meaning.
Educator Morrie Schwartz helps us put meaning into our
lives. In Mitch Albom’s book Tuesdays with Morrie, he chronicles the final
months of Morrie’s life as his former teacher slowly dies of Lou Gehrig’s
Disease (ALS). Morrie, an irrepressible lover of life, says this: “So many
people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half asleep even when
they are busy doing things they think are important. This is the product of
chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote
yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and
devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
Do you want to be happy? Do you want a life that matters?
Then spend some extra time caring for those around you. Get busy serving your
community. Become a lover of people. I guarantee, your life will never seem
empty again.
-– Steve Goodier (Life Support System)
No comments:
Post a Comment