It’s really quite easy to die quite early, for life becomes truly lost in lack of attention. And this form of dying — whether we are cleaning windows absentmindedly, writing a masterpiece dutifully, or caring for another person superficially — is actually quite real. We might very well be fulfilling our obligations while we go through such motions, and yet when we do so blandly or routinely, we might as well already be dead.

So, my Friends, no matter what you end up choosing to do in this new & glorious day, I offer only this soft-yet-heartfelt incitement:

Stay Awake! … Pay Attention! … Remain Alive!

(inspired by Nadia Boulanger)

 

Filed under: Wisdoms from the Journey by Scaughdt