Friday, I woke up to a nasty letter from someone.  I didn’t let it bother me but I happened to be talking on the phone about it at the health club and when I got off a woman standing nearby said, “I’m sorry for listening in, but we’ve met a few times (I didn’t remember her!).  And, when we met, I thought you were the kind of person who gives happiness out.  So, listening to your conversation, I feel like I want to say, don’t let anyone take away your joy.  Not even the author of the letter.”  Nice. #1

On Saturday, the man standing in front of me at the coffee shop started to chat with me about the trivia question (why do people think I have any idea about the trivia answer??).  As we stood at the “pick-up” for our drinks (and continued to chat), he said, “You must make people laugh and feel happy all the time.  Life’s short and it’s likely fun to be around you.”  (He was married, so don’t get any ideas my friends!).  Wow. #2

Yesterday, my daughter read something to me.  “But man’s life is short, at any moment it can be snapped … Though no one has seen death’s face or heard death’s voice, suddenly, savagely, death destroys us, all of us, old or young. And yet we build houses, make contracts, brothers divide their inheritance, conflicts occur– as though this human life lasted for ever.”  (emphasis added) Gilgamesh  Truth. #3

What’s the message?  We all know this life is short.  Yet, despite that fact, we still spend most of our lives “doing” and “searching” and managing our anger and hurt feelings. We chase things we think we want rather than be satisfied with the greatness right in front of us.  We’re human.

I’m the first to admit that while I know the time is finite, I stay in situations that often make me unhappy because I prefer the evil I know to the one I don’t know.  I can let fear rule my life instead of happiness.  I’m likely not alone.  Fear is the one thing that can keep us from happiness.  From joy.  We fear a loss of security.  That’s why we build big houses, try to earn more money … because we have a fear of not having enough to feel “safe.” But, as we all know, that’s false sense of security.  The only thing that’s safe is our own internal happiness and unconditional love — and, of course, the joy we bring to others lives.

Maybe these messages to me were to remind me that life should be lived with strength and passion now. That more is not better.  That I should be bold about my life.  It’s mine, after all.  That I should fill it with love and happiness. And do the same for others.  Because today is all we have.

Have an amazing start to your week.