A Life Worth Living

Once upon a time, there was a boy. He had been born into a corrupt, wicked world, a world in which anger, pain and worst of all, hate, took hostage the heart of every individual, including those who claimed to be good. The world consisted of two types of people: the good at war with evil, and the evil fighting endlessly against the good, refusing to forfeit. The world in itself was confused – how was the boy supposed to even start to comprehend all the jealousy, the rage, or the discrimination of not only the strangers around him, but of his very own friends and himself? This boy was just another victim, but he felt like he was the only one. He never understood the people around him. The people didn't understand him, either.

One thing that was noteworthy of this kid was the way he handled things – or so he was told. The young man went through so much in the little amount of time he had been around: his parents fought, his friends left year after year, and at times he was left out, bullied, denied. He was sometimes alone, and all he could do was stand still, with his head up high. He had nothing or no one to lean on, but what he did not realize was that the pain he was going through would make him a stronger man than ever.  He got punched, hit hard and brought down. At times he began to wonder if it was the world's attempt to knock him out, or if it was some sort of test. He always found a way to push himself up. He learned not to depend on others to give him a hand and pull him up. He started to depend on his own strength. 

The boy grew up to be a fine man, but he was nowhere near perfect. Selfishness, confusion, excitement and the prospect of emerging into something new, something different was so overwhelming that he could not avoid making the mistakes he would live to regret. He weeped and cried about it sometimes. He prayed to God that he would be forgiven – he asked for guidance from above. He hoped to become a better man, he wished to learn from his mistakes. The kid had faith which was admirable. God never turned away from this young man. One day, something magical happened. It was almost like he had been rewarded for persisting through the pain and tragedies of life alone, for so long...He had found love. The time he had with his girl was nothing short of breathtaking. The excitement of the first date, the first time to declare his love, the first kiss - they were all things he had been longing for. After all the pain, regret, sorrow and misery, he felt something new, something different. In that moment he realized he was happy. 

He was hit pretty hard one day, when, the girl he loved and cared so much about decided to end the one thing in his life that he believed to be truly magical. In that moment the boy realized what a crazy world it was and how in a matter of seconds, a person could go from being the happiest person alive, to suffering the greatest tragedy of all – the loss of his hearts desire. That moment, perhaps one of the worse in his life, was a moment the boy would have loved to erase. But to erase that moment would also mean to erase all the beautiful moments he had with her, the memories they had made together. Years passed, and he still remembered that feeling. But he kept telling himself that it was better to have the great memories along with the pain and sorrow than to not have any of it at all. That, along with the faith the young man had in God, the belief that life was worth living, the prospect of peace, happiness and last but not least, the hope he had that love really did exist and love would find him, one way or another, made him the strong man he had always hoped to become. He was proud to be that man, and he loved God for giving him something to trust in, a shoulder to lean on when he needed it the most. He learned that no matter what came his way, however dangerous, frightening, painful or tragic it may be, he would have a guiding force in his life, something or someone would always help him make it through. All he needed to do was be strong, and believe. Have faith. And he promised himself, that he always would.

Once upon a time, there was a boy. The boy is gone now, and has been replaced by the strong, faithful, hopeful man he had always dreamed of becoming. That man is me.

-PROVEHITO IN ALTUM-

Time Travel

Tick tock, tick tock.

He gazed at the clock. The record kept playing. He lost himself for a moment. Back and forth through time, he swayed. 

Good times, good times…

The party was over…Everyone had gone. He cleaned up, suddenly coming to the realisation that although some of them would return, most of them had left never to be seen again. "We'll cross paths again some day" he thought, but even he had difficulty believing his own assurances.

"We'll keep in touch…"

Voices echoed in the distance. Promises made, but never kept. "Story of my life", he thought. The rain came down harder than ever.

Lies, lies, lies

It occurred to him then. Words were negligible. From that moment, he remembered: the only way to really know someone was sincere was through their actions.

Where did the time go?

He was angry still, but he could not help but miss it all. Days had dissipated like ice in the burning sun. The remains were like a single drop in an ocean of tears - insignificant somewhat. Untraceable. Echoing voices, empty laughter, and mental snapshots of moments never to be forgotten preserved in a corner of his mind to become everlasting memories.

The song kept playing…

He snapped back to reality in that moment, as the finest of Yellowcard kept playing. He sang to himself at the top of his lungs the very words he so desperately needed to hear. "Someday, everything ends. Can we find a way back before we're too late, and lost in between the truth and the dream - I've never been more ready to move on." And in that moment, the future in his heart was just about to start. He just didn't know it yet.

Near Life Experience

I've been thinking…People ask if you ever had a near death experience…What about a near life experience?

There's so much to be seen, done and experienced in this world – but the ways of our society and our time has us locked up, as though we are prisoners within the walls of our very own homes, work spaces, schools… We are so swamped with our day to day routine that we don't really have much time for anything else, or at least we make ourselves believe so.

Think about it - how many moments did you have that made you really feel alive? How many moments were you able to smile and feel happy? How many moments made you thank God or whatever you may believe in, for the life you that you have? If right now you're thinking, ''not many'', then perhaps it's time to make a change. 

You only live once. So seize every opportunity and make the most of your life. Do what makes you happy. Because I've got news for you, something your teachers, friends and managers are not telling you. Whether you pass an exam or fail it, whether you complete tasks on time or fail to do so, or whether you go to university or not, isn't what is really going to define you. It's not going to make you who you are or who you want to be.  What's going to make you special and unique, what's going to make you, yourself, is how you live your life, the things you do for other people out of kindness, the things you say, the way you act and the way you make others feel. What's going to make your life special is the way you live it and the things you do, the places you go but most importantly the moments that take your breath away. That's what really matters.

What I'm saying is, the moments in your lives - the moments that you make - are what will define you. If you want to be remembered, if you want to leave something behind once your time has come and you leave this world for a better one, then make a choice. Let that choice be to live your life, starting today, and to do what you want to do, to be the person you want to be. Figure out a way to leave a mark in this world, and do it. 

How many moments did you have that made you really feel alive? How many near life experiences did you have? There comes a time when you have to make a change, and for many of us, the time is right now. What are you waiting for?

PROVEHITO IN ALTUM
Daniel