21.08.19
These last couple of weeks or so have been a little bit challenging to say the least, but when you think about it, when are things not challenging really. There’s always another challenge around the corner… better to accept it, embrace it, and have fun along the way. We need to face challenges with courage.
I came across a pretty cool poem by a Native Indian chief called Tecumseh. He lived during the 17th – 18th century. It’s one of those poems/quotes where you think ‘Ok this guy/gal had his shit down pat.’ I’ll share it with you:
“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion, respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.“
It’s pretty epic, and sets the bar pretty high but choc full of good information nonetheless. In challenging times here are a few good takeaways from this poem:
- Have courage. Challenging times can spike up our fear levels. We need to accept it, face it, and fight to overcome our own fears.
- Don’t forget to be a good person and live with virtue. There is something innate within us that instinctively acknowledges that for some reason being a good person and living with character is important in this life. Heed this inner knowing. Work hard to be respectful and kind in a world where often times there’s no reason to do so. You will respect yourself for it, coz it ain’t easy.
- Embrace life and work to improve it. We are not handed a finished life. We’re not even handed an unfinished life with instructions. A lot of us are handed burden filled lives without any instructions or advice. Not even a ‘there there lad go get ’em’. So be it. Embrace your life and work day by day to beautify it, perfect it. Like a sculptor sculpting a rock, keep chipping away at it until you start to see something beautiful.
- Don’t forget to be appreciative. At the very least, appreciate the small things.
- Think now about how you want to live your life. Live a good life. Live with virtue. Do your very best. And then face death with courage. Die like a hero.
Alright I think that’s enough info for now, haha, epic stuff I love it. Stuff we can all work on. So, I hope you guys enjoyed the first ‘Weekly Update’ post. I’ve been thinking of doing it for a while now so I’m glad it’s finally going down – it’s gonna be good. So stay tuned, take care, bye for now and I’ll see you in the next post.
