"All men die, not every man really lives."
It is possible to live and never really live. There are two aspects to our lives. There are the activities of our lives such as eating, breathing, sleeping, singing, working, playing, travelling, dancing, reading, walking, driving, and so on. But then there is a more mysterious, more internal kind of life. It is life within. When a person engages in the activities of life without experiencing life within we call that "going through the motions". We say they are alive but they are not really living. They have lost the "sparkle in their eyes." I want to really live as much as possible in this life.
Here is a great poem that expresses this well,
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
I'd relax, I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles,
but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I'm one of those people who live
sensibly and sanely hour after hour,
day after day.
Oh, I've had my moments,
And if I had it to do over again,
I'd have more of them.
In fact, I'd try to have nothing else.
Just moments, one after another,
instead of living so many years ahead of each day.
I've been one of those people who never goes anywhere
without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat
and a parachute.
If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.
If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefoot earlier in the spring
and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies.
Nadine Stair,
85 years old.
