You start dying slowly ;
if you do not travel,
if you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.
You start dying slowly :
When you kill your self-esteem,
When you do not let others help you.
You start dying slowly ;
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking every day on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colors
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.
You start dying slowly :
If you avoid feeling the passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.
You start dying slowly :
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain
If you do not go after a dream
If you do not allow yourself
At least once in your lifetime
To run away from sensible advice
Don't let yourself die slowly
Do not forget to be happy!
Poem by "Pablo Neruda"
Chilean poet who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
At first glance I thought, this is a little dark for Xmas and then I read more closely. This is what happens when people close themselves off to new ideas and new ways.
Let me offer one of my favorite quotes by Mark Twain basically saying the same thing.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."
I have nothing to say. I just want to thank Adam and Chuck for sharing these good poems. I like them both. In reality, one point which I like a lot about having new friends from different parts of the world with various cultures and communicating with them is to know about their viewpoint about the same issue.
Thank you again and good luck
