& The Teaching Goes On..

Last week I was away for the weekend.

I knew that I’d be spending that weekend between pages. I actually grabbed Malcolm X  Autobiography with me. Even though I was only three chapters in, I thought I’d be done by the end of the weekend. But that Thursday I went to a bookstore and grabbed loads of books….. I am talking about 12 books to be exact. One of those books was “Tuesday’s with Morrie” For some reason I just opened few pages from this book that I knew nothing about didn’t know that I will be holding the book for two more days finishing it in the day of my arrival back home. >I couldn’t let this book down.

From me not knowing who Morrie was to a complete obsession to why’s, how’s and when.

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I never knew that a book this small could have such an impact. 

If you haven’t read the book, this post is such a spoiler because I will be posting a lot of videos from the actual footage that were taken back when Morrie was alive. And also will share with you some of my favorite lines from the book.

This post is not the type that would go like ” This book is about this and that go ahead and read it. No, It’s about my share of thoughts; what I found important and what really touched me after reading this book.

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Mitch Albom is the Author of this book, he actually wrote it and worked on publishing it to be able to pay the medical bills for Morrie Schwartz. When they first printed the copies they only made around 20,000. Never knew that this book will end being one of the best sellers.

Morrie Schwartz is the old professor that taught Mitch back in university. He never knew that Morrie’s disease and death could change so much about and in him. We all know how when we graduate we promise to keep in touch and communicate with our colleagues and professors but we almost never do.

When Mitch knew about his professor’s disease he thought it was a sign that he should actually go and pay him one last visit to say goodbye. Never knowing that visit wasn’t the last one and in fact those next visits were only going to be the greatest lessons of life he had ever encountered.

Morrie’s last days were intended to prove that the word ‘dying’ wasn’t comparable to ‘useless’ As long as you are breathing you can learn, teach, do things and change things.

How we need to accept what we are able to do and what we are not able to do.

Accept the past as the past, without denying it or discarding it.

Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others. 

Don’t assume  that it’s too late to get involved.

Just because he was sick and actually dying he didn’t think that he should withdraw from the world. Actually he decided that he wanted to ‘live’.

We usually find ourselves getting more attached to those we’re about to lose. I mean we tend to take a lot of things and people for granted. And his disease made him get more interested and involved with people.

When was the last time you had an honest, genuine and focused conversation? We tend to talk with one eye on a person and the other one is direct on our cellphones. As if we are going to miss anything as soon as we look away.

We live a life like a marathon. Doing things over and over again. Saying the same things repeatedly expecting different results.

Can you honestly say that you are having a good life?

Some of the questions were asked in the book…

Are you giving to you community?

Are you at peace with yourself?

Are you trying to be as human as you can be?

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Yes, your day might be full? You end up going to bed exhausted but what are you wrapping yourself around? Are those things you do add any value to your life? Or you’re just doing them because you “have to”..?

This book has changed so many things in me.

To be exact:

It has shown me how this life is a journey and I shouldn’t “fear” death or the end of my life as much as having to place my focus on actually living it. We fear so much that we end up being paralyzed. We put away doing things and postpone as if time is a sure thing.

It has taught me to actually express my gratitude and show love to those people I love. I started sending random messages letting them know that I love them and I appreciate their existence in my life.

“Our time is running out and we have to do something.”

stop living a life that doesn’t feel like you… Stop acting in ways that don’t represent you… Stop doing things and wasting your time with people who don’t even mean a thing to you ‘just because’

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One of the really good things I got to learn is that we shouldn’t be embarrassed from silence… We find ourselves creating the noise because we find comfort in it…

One of the amazing lines as well which also represents me:

The culture doesn’t encourage you to think about such thoughts until you’re about to doe. We’re so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car_we’re involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don’t get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is this al? Is this all I want? Is something missing?

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I think one of the main thing this book is focused on is how we should focus on our relationship with the people around us. We tend to lose ourselves in jobs, and doing all sort of things except strengthen the relationships with other people.

Letting others know there’s someone who is watching for them. I call it “spiritual security” Knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money, Not fame, Not work.

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It is a small book but a life changing one. I never know that reading those pages I have changed so much. This book shows you that loving and being loved doesn’t make you look weak. Some people think that expressing love makes you look soft…. Which is  false. Love each other or perish.

This book brings the human in you… I could go on posting loads of the lines I have highlighted but we all know that this post will be longer than intended..

I am grateful for having the opportunity to be taught by the teacher to the last… Professor Morrie Schwartz. And I know that his lessons will never leave me.

I’ll leave you with couple of actual footage..

Listen to the story about the waves…

And this video is the last interview he had with Ted Koppel

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I couldn’t even find words to end this post.

I hope you find the strength to love yourself and share the love with everyone around you. I hope you find the courage to stand for something you believe in even when no one else out there believes in you. I hope you find the peace you’re looking for.. Within rather than without.