How Do You Live?

This life is really not all about us but about the trail of kindness that we leave on our path. It's about the good things we can do for others and how we can inspire others to greatness.

Yesterday was the wake keep of my mother in law and she is to be buried proper today. It was all about the emotions yesterday as you could see different reactions on everyone's face as they stared at her and tried to remember the last memory they had of her. When the good things you've done outweighs your weaknesses it would naturally fizzle anything anyone wants to say on the contrary. I am not saying anyone had anything contrary to say yesterday, far from it, I am only saying that no matter how good you are, it is normal for some to still not be cool with you.

Humans are funny because when you do great things for them some might say you are trying to show off or you are trying to impress others. I am so happy with my mother in law because she is never the type to brag. She lived a life of simplicity and would spur others to greatness even when it would hurt her. It was this act of kindness that led to what happened to her because she was sick for a week and despite being sick and just recovering, she went on the long journey of being there for a friend who was celebrating her son's wedding and that's how she met her unfortunate end.

She lived her life for others when she was on the earth and even to the point of death, she still lived her life for others. She gave it all... She spent herself and held nothing back. My conversation with her on Friday and even late night on Saturday before her death on Sunday still rings in my head.

They said death doesn't surprise wise people because they are always ready to leave and she is never the type to celebrate her birthdays. She just wants something simple and that's it but earlier this year she said she would like to celebrate her birthday at least because that was when she clocked 60... Around March. I guess she was already getting herself warmed up for her grand departure.

It's always good to visit where burials are being done because it brings a lot into perspective - it helps us re-evaluate our lives and know what is truly important. It's good to leave an indelible mark on the sand of time because we are not expected to take life too seriously when we know we won't get out of it alive. All that you have, all that you worked for won't be of anything when others can't be a blessing to it even your immediate family.

I have heard and seen a lot of men who didn't even take good care of their immediate family and I wonder what's the whole essence of their wealth? To show others they have it? I don't really understand. Most people would rather just accumulate wealth without a thought of those who would lay claim to it when they are gone. The people you deprived of these things would still get their hands on it when you have no power to control it.

Life is not all about us and as much as we are striving to make it in life - to make wealth, acquire things and be a better version of ourselves than we were a year before, I think it's good to help others along the way.

How do you live your life? Are you one of those who live it without thoughts? Are you one of the few who like to oppress others because you feel "there is nothing he can do about it?" Death would humble every one of us whether we like it or not. No one is rich enough to buy eternity and not taste death. We will all go alike and it's not a bad thing to talk about death because it helps us put our thought where they should be.

Someone once said that he would rather live for a day and touch as many lives as possible than live for hundred years and not be remembered by anyone. Ever since I came across this quote (which I don't know till now who said it) I have always used it as my mantra. I have used it a few times in my early days here too because I try to hold myself to that standard. What people say about you of course won't have any impact on you when you were gone but it would have a lasting impact on them because that's you living on even in their hearts.

There is nothing we have that we were not given also at some point and there is no need to brag when we have also received help at one point too. It's only logical to be of help to others. I love this quote too and I always use it whenever I get the chance: "Stop being proud because you have bread to eat, remember, someone owns the bakery". Just when you think you are at the peak of your success, you'd be shocked to hear the things most have done to surpass what you think you have achieved. That doesn't mean we are to make light of our achievements, no, it is just a way to remind us that we still have a long way to go and another way of telling us to stay grounded.

How do you live? I also need to ask myself, how do I live? We need to live in such a way that our lives can inspire others to be better and that's better than leaving structured things for people. We can do both so let's strive for both. While we are trying to making meaning out of our lives, let's try to give meaning to the lives of others. That's the whole essence of living any way.

Thank you for your time.