The Drivers of Life (inspired by Tuesdays with Morrie)

          The Meaning of Life. These are very simple words if you hear it or read it but once you open a discussion about this you will find a hard time in discussing this, in giving its true meaning and in understanding everything that have connection to these words because these words are somewhat general and too broad in discussing and you’ll need to take this seriously because this word what we call “Life” needs a wider explanation and deeper understanding.

            
            Every book has its own uniqueness. The way the author delivers the story, the formation and usage of words, the story itself, etc. but this book is much more different from the other books. In reading this book, many readers were inspired and learned to open their mind to reality where everyone is striving to live in a fruitful life. Millions of readers were inspired and were touched their lives through the story of the book and because it let our minds be open to any situation that might happen to us in any time. This is what the book told us the meaning of life. Everyone is afraid to die but once you understand the meaning of life you will find out that there is nothing to worry about and to be scared of to what will happen to you next and you will not regret the things you did from the past. This book talked about – Death.

Did you hear about the living funeral? It is quite strange but living funeral is like preparing yourself to death and so it would not be late for you to hear the messages dedicated for you by your family, relatives and friends before you let go. It is what Morrie did and his living funeral became successful. He prepared everything before he died. When Morrie discovered that he has a neurological disease it affects his life. It was written in the book that his disease, ALS is like a lit of candle. It melts your nerves and leaves your body a pile of wax so Morrie cannot do anymore what he was doing for his whole life: dancing, driving, swimming and even walking and standing because the first target of his disease was his legs but there was one thing that did not change and that was teaching, listening to the problems of the other people, giving advices and helping others. He still keeps doing this even if his body gets weaker and weaker. Now I understand what he said to Mitch: “if you really want it, then you’ll make it happen.” It is not impossible to reach your dreams, if you really want it then go for it even there are many obstacles on your way to your dreams.

Everyone is dreaming and we wanted to reach that dream. Like what Morrie did, he did not stop doing the thing he used to do everyday because it was his passion and his dream. I am also dreaming not just for myself but also for my family. Determination leads us to success and so I will live on it. Before Morrie molded as a great man he experienced many sufferings. He encountered the death of her mother and his brother David had polio but he stayed strong and went everyday to Synagogue to pray. From this past experiences, he learned from these things and from that, it helped him to be a great man, a professor, a friend, a coach, a husband and a father. The lesson from here: Learn from the experience.

For the long time that Morrie and Mitch was together: eating together, sharing experiences, giving advices and teaching, they had built the foundation of their friendship. They knew each other deeper and deeper as time past by. It was not just a professor-student relationship but it was like a father-son relationship. Eventhough Mitch became too busy in his profession the fate still brought him to Morrie, his professor. It says that look back from where you came from but in this scene Mitch must looked back to the one who taught him everything where he learned a lot and that was Morrie. Every Tuesday Mitch visited his loving professor to listen to Morrie’s every topic about life. Eventhough Mitch was so busy in his work and needed to go back and forth from Detroit to Massachussets, he still visiting Morrie and shared his time even once in a week. I remember a quote and that is “Invest your time to others who needs it and even it is only for the short period of time you shared to someone it may be great to them.” You may touch their lives in a simple way and help them to change for better. Their relationship was bound together so tightly with love and concern so the memories they spent together will remain and will stay in their hearts.

“Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness.” Yes, money can buy everything you want but money can’t buy love. Money can’t give you an everlasting happiness. Everything you buy is not permanent. Morrie said that “Do not cling to things, because everything is impermanent.” All the things we see are impermanent and we just borrow it from our Creator. We should not be dependent to all the things we see and we should not be overpowered by these material things, money and power, because these things can’t give us what we need and that is - Love and Happiness. Many people today are working so hard to earn a lot of money and want to be rich but most of the rich people do not know how to use their money in a right way and wisely. You cannot substitute material things for love or for tenderness or for gentleness.

Satisfaction can only achieve through offering others what you have to give. According to Morrie, it was Time. Morrie was so grateful that Mitch was sharing his time to him. Sharing his time to someone is like offering the part of his life to someone else and it feels great when you make someone happy by just seeing them smiling. Lastly, don’t put your values in the wrong things.

Many people don’t easily trust other people and I am one of them because you would not tell if that person is good or bad in just one look. “Sometimes you cannot believe what you see; you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them too – even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling.” I know it is difficult to trust others and we are choosing whom to trust. Trust is one of the basis in developing relationship to others and even in a company where you are working, it is one value that we must acquire as a person. This quotation struck me so much. I am a secretive person and some of my thoughts and problems were not shared to others even in my parents because I am afraid of telling it to someone and I don’t know why. I am person who keeps her thoughts inside and don’t want someone else to know about it but I know if I share it to someone I will be feeling better. I am starting to open up to my friends after reading these things. There is one thing I learn and that is learning to trust and you will be also trust by other people.

As a person, learn to share what is inside of you. Don’t be afraid because the person to whom you give your trust is the first person who will help you in everything and they will also learn to trust you. It develops a great relationship and great companions to every battle of your life. When you are falling, there is someone who will catch you and you have someone to hold on and when you are in the dark, there is someone who will guide you going to the light so don’t be afraid and you’ll ready to face everything.

Why we feel fear? There are many things we fear of. Detach our emotions. Do not focus on one thing because there are so many things here on earth to think to have a fruitful life. Avoid your fears of everything. Avoid the fear of aging. Age doesn’t matter but to some it does matter. “Aging is not just decay, you know. It’s a growth.” According to Morrie, Young are not wise. They have very little understanding about life. It’s more than the negative that you’re  going to die, it’s also a positive that you understand you’re going to die, and that you live a better life because of it. Many people are afraid to get old so they want to go back from their life while they are in adolescence age when they feel they are fresh and can do anything but it only means that they are not satisfied and not fulfilled in their life. In every age, we should find and look what is good, true and beautiful in our life. We should not waste the time. We already know in the end that we will end up to death so just do the best thing that we’ll make our life satisfied and fruitful while we are still living.

Experiences teach us a lesson. Every time we get older, we get closer to death. Every year we learn something and understand the meaning of life so if these things always happen we will also learn to live and have a better life. Age is not a competitive issue. Do not be bothered if you are getting older and older because it is a part of the life cycle of a person. All of us have a different mission here on earth. Try to find it and do it. We exist here for a reason.

Life is like driving a car. Sometimes you may drive it crazy (you’re car in the 5^th gear) and sometimes you may drive it with in focus. When you drive crazy, it might turn out into an accident and you might lose your life and when you drive with in focus, you can reach your destination safely. When driving focus on the front and avoid something that might destruct you and you’ll find that you made a good job until you reach the end. You should also be alert from everything so you will know what to do next, if you are going to overtake or to just stay on your lane or go back from the start. Also, follow the different traffic rules. In stoplight, know if it is in the red light where you must stop and think what’s going on in your life, if it is in orange light, be ready for everything that might happen to you and the green light, start from running and traveling to find out what is the meaning of your life. If you will follow all these things, you will be the best driver of your life.

Try this! When you exhale, count as many numbers as you can before you take another breath. If you reach up to 40 and above you have a healthy lungs. Think of this very well, if you have a healthy lungs it only mean that you have still many time to live here. Make your every seconds, minutes, hours and days meaningful. Live your life to the fullest, the thing that you will not regret everything you did. Live not just for yourself but also for others. Be an example like Morrie Schwartz. Be an inspiration like him.