I take all of my life lessons, which some people might call ‘mistakes,’ and apply them to my future so that I keep growing. – Kimberly Caldwell
More than anything, I love plunging into the endless pull of thoughts, ideas, mysteries and beautiful eternal worlds of authors that are shining through the pages of the books. I always loved reading. All the books I’ve read gave me the impression that each one was a natural extension of another. One lesson morphs into another. Countless thoughts, ideas, and wise decisions. Endless lessons and perspectives. And so it went on. I read five books this week. There is one I would like to differentiate from the rest which had the best life lesson possible. And I would like to share it with you.
Coincidences
Two days ago I was browsing through my library. I couldn’t decide which book I should read next. Suddenly my attention was drawn by a Facebook alert that notified me of a new message received. So I’ve opened it. It was a message from a good friend who often shares inspirational things and ideas with me. He sent me a link. It was a video below.
Please watch this video. Now.
It grasped my attention from the very first second until the end. It ignited things inside of me I wasn’t aware I had. The extent of my ignorance towards obvious things is enormous. I get that.
But what I am grateful for is that I have a great friend like that who takes his time sharing something important to know and understand with me.
”The Orange Girl” Book
After watching this video, I wanted to switch my attention to something else. But my life has an ironic approach. So miraculously it gave me the book with a similar meaning as the video you’ve just seen! When I finished reading it, I only said: WOW!
The book with the best advice is called, “The Orange Girl” by Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder. A simple plot with surprising twists. Mind boggling revelations and unforgettable conclusions. It is one of the best books I came across in my life!
Top 3 Quotes From “The Orange Girl.”
1. We can’t own each other’s past. The question is whether we have a future together?
2. Life is short for those who are truly able to understand that one day the entire world will come to a complete end. Not everyone is capable of that. Not everyone can comprehend what’s going away for all eternity implies. There are too many distractions, hour by hour, minute by minute, to hinder such an understanding.
3. If I’d chosen never to set my foot inside the great fairytale, I’d never have known what I’ve lost. Do you see what I’m getting at? Sometimes it’s worse for us human beings to lose something dear to us than never to have had it at all.
Take your time and read this book. It will stay in your memory forever. I promise.
Life Lessons
1. The Greatest Gift Of Life
What is the greatest gift of life? Have you ever wondered?
Life is a fairytale we were invited to take part in. No one knows how long it’s going to last for. No one knows for how long we are here to live and enjoy every breath taken making our life count.
The greatest gift of life is what you have right now. Not more, not less. Every day might be your last… but it is a gift. Appreciate and love what you have. Be mindful about it.
2. People In Your Life
Life is too short to spend it on somebody else’s dramas. Be kind to the people you love. Be kind to those who love you. And remember that one day we will lose ourselves and the world will lose us… eventually… So it’s is up to us how we want to spend our life – either in peace and harmony with each other as much as possible or fighting with each other about something that won’t matter in 10 years or less. Appreciate each other.
What does it feel like when you lose someone? Incredible pain. Missing someone dear to your heart… A million thoughts are crossing my mind: I should have said how much I loved them, how much I appreciated that they were in my life… I wish I could hug them one more time.
I wish I could hug them all. People that passed away leaving a warm memory as a substitute. But nothing will ever replace the person you miss the most.
The fact that I was missing someone I’ve lost was well hidden.
People live in our hearts for as long as we remember them, it’s true. But what is more, important is to appreciate them while they are alive and their hearts are still beating. I want you to imagine all the people you love in your mind and send them your gratitude.
Nothing hurts so much like facing your mortality, or mortality of the people we love.
Appreciate people in your life… who you love… we will all lose everybody and everybody will lose us. Appreciate each other each and every day.
3. Facing Mortality Is Good (Sometimes)
I’m sure that many of you found yourselves in some nail-biting dangerous situation at least once in your lifetime. Or you might have faced a serious illness or an accident that changed your life dramatically…
Recall that moment that went swinging nearly hitting you. What did you feel right that moment when the danger was moments away right behind you?
Relief? Exhaling with a sweet sense of gratitude while your heart is still racing?
All of the things we went through were tough, and sometimes they didn’t seem to have any sense. We are often stuck in “why me” attitude, and that’s fine. Understand how lucky you are to be alive, to feel the sunlight on your face… the wind in your hair… Enjoy little things.
In Conclusion
Yesterday I found myself in shock after a minor car crash. When the car lost control on a slippery surface and went spinning into the side barrier, a million thoughts ran through my mind. One of them just before we hit the barrier was: “I can’t believe THIS IS IT.” The second thought was: I can’t believe HOW GRATEFUL I am to be alive!
And it suddenly hit me.
We will all slide into the night of death eventually. We were born to die, forgive me for this cliché…
But what would you give in THAT LAST MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE to go back where you are RIGHT NOW? Anything! So enjoy it now and make the most of it! And when it’s time, you can say that you wouldn’t change a thing if you could go back.
See your everyday problems for what they are, not worse than they are. Enjoy your life and be grateful for everything you have right now.
