I was ‘lucky’ to suffer a stroke at age 33, in a way. Life is so much clearer now. The person I am today, is not the person I was before. Not only is my speech altered by a damaged brain (amongst others), I am blessed with a brain that is discovering the world anew.
How would you look back at the choices you’ve made in your life so far? When all of a sudden you lose controle of all that you think you are?
You are not defined by the fancy career. Not defined by the awards. Not by how often you were invited to give a lecture and share all your ‘successes’. Not by the revenue a company makes. Nor the money in your account. Not even by the world-changing inventions you’ve put into this world. Life does not revolve around your work.
The essence of life is life itself. It is in the fact that you get to wake up every day. It is In birth – in death. In all species that roam this earth. In babies that see for the first time. In giant trees that have been around for ages, in new shades of flowers, in turtles older than any human alive. The eb and flood of our seas and the rising sun. This is all there is and ever will be.
Humans are just – human. We breath, we feel. We wonder. We laugh, we cry. We form bonds or break them. We get emotional over poetry, art, music. We move and are moved.
The world should leave us in constant awe of all there is to it.
Applaud people who make decisions that cherish life. And cherish yours. Watch over the choices you make on a daily basis. Because we’re only here for a brief period of time – if we’re lucky. You are not in control of how long you’ll be around. Don’t ever forget that.