Was there a line from a book that changed your life forever? I picked up Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom completely by chance. Everywhere I went, I saw it. I’ve never devoured a book so quickly in my life. This particular line from the book hit me:
“And all the heartfelt things we never get to say to those we love, Morrie said that day.”
From there, I started pondering a lot about life. Self-worth. Legacy. Who will come to my funeral? What will they say about me? What will I be remembered for? The more I thought about it, the deeper I fell into an invisible black hole. But who would be there to save me?
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What I learned from Morrie:
1. Beautiful words aren’t only meant for the dead — there’s more room to blossom for those still living.
Start showing and stop waiting. In other words, appreciative gestures and words shouldn’t be reserved for birthdays, anniversaries, or worse — deaths only. Everyone deserves a chance to be appreciated and to appreciate others in their unique ways. The most important part is you’re saying it at the moment when it means the most.
2. Recognize your emotions. Practice detachment to better express yourself freely and fearlessly.
When you allow the wash of emotion to sink in, only then you’ll be able to identify it, label it, and eventually, let go of it. Because once you’ve hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.
3. Focus on controlling what you can, without dwelling too much on what you can’t.
Start by taking the next small step you can to resolve your issue. In doing so, recognize that this current matter, no matter how overwhelming it feels now, will seem the most trivial in the future.
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