There are reminders everywhere that life is short. Lives are cut even shorter with stress, car accidents, diseases and so on. Despite all of this, it is rare that people openly admit that they think of their lives as a whole and further mention that they wish to make the best of it. Most of the time, it takes something catastrophic to happen before this occurs. As for me, I confess that I think about the end of life all of the time, but in a matter consistent with what I’m going to do while I’m here to make those living around me a little more grateful to be alive.

Every now and then, I see advertisements about how one should plan for death. Most of the time, it’s about insurance and the Christian Faith- but aside from the filling of one’s coffers, I see nothing about action, attitude or any other form of forward motion towards a better end. The purpose of this essay is to promote action and inspire people to think about enhancing their lives in such a way that others around them can benefit. I’ve mentioned in several of my other essays that there is no proof as to what really happens when one dies- if the soul lives on or if we simply become nothing.

The thought of becoming nothing scares me to no end when I think about it. I consistently believe that Man has created religion for this sole reason- to comfort people into believing that there is an eternal side to them; a being within which retains an understanding of self after the expiration of the body. While there some examples of the power of the human mind being able to reach beyond the realms of its immediate existence, this still says nothing to me about an afterlife or a moving on to some other place where we live beyond the restrictions of the body. Sure, we have a fascination with ghosts, spirits and the undead- further convincing ourselves that these are ‘living proof’ of an afterlife when we see these instances, but such a weak tether to something so barely understood is simply not satisfying enough. Despite how much I think about the brevity of life, I am still inspired to live as fruitfully as I can for a benefit beyond my self. I really do want to have a meaningful impact on the human race. It’s simply another reason to do what I am doing here on this site; an awkward complement to the criticism my eternal being constantly undergoes.

More and more, I see people giving up and turning to entertainment to dull their awareness- making reality shows, political drama and the latest trends their lives. This response to the ‘hard life’ is exceedingly troubling to me; especially when I am sitting here at my computer, writing to the people that will eventually read my thoughts in an attempt to get them to see that it’s worth taking the road which leads to happiness. I see the growing lethargy as a prolonging of the necessary adventure- eventually that which becomes missed opportunities, forsaken memories and a wasted life. It’s a disease, my dear reader, which can be cured with an internal burst of inspiration inside the Few to help the Many. An increase of the number of people willing to stand up for their own lives and the lives of those around them is what I’m saying is necessary- and ultimately my purpose behind this whole thing. The site. My autobiography. My contribution to causes bigger than myself. Everything. It helps me, just knowing that this information is out there and ready to be accessed by those who may find it, to deal with the brevity of life. While it’s not the same as building a house or a towering statue, which take sweat and physical effort, it is still an effort with takes time; a conviction given a voice and a mission to whisper, to all who pass by, about things that need to be considered.

Before trauma or calamity comes to you, think about your life, your place in this world and what you can do to help others against all odds. Embrace those around you and show them that it’s ok to be grateful for what they have.