Think about this when you go to the cemetery

Libingan ng mga Bayani

Libingan ng mga Bayani

A visit to the cemetery, which many of us will undertake starting tomorrow for our annual observance of All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2) should humble us.

As France Charles de Gaulle famously said, “The cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.”

Any sense of self-importance should be erased by De Gaulle’s reminder.

The much- respected Haydee Yorac, said the same when she was battling cancer and resigned to face her creator. She was confident that there will be no dearth of Filipinos who will continue her crusade for truth and justice. She consoled people,””No one is indispensable.”

In her sharing with fellow cancer patients, instead of giving mawkish words of comfort, Haydee gave it as straight, without frills: “We will all die,” she said adding that it’s a matter of time. Some have gone ahead but each of us will have our time.

She said what is important is the kind of life we lived. She said each of us, in our own way should try to make a difference: “Making a difference is enough.”

Our annual ritual of visiting the graves of those who have gone ahead of us should remind us to value God’s gift of life.

I found an article in Joel Saracho’s Facebook about “15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy.” I’m sharing five items here more for a more meaningful life than to achieve happiness:

• Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question:

“Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?” Wayne Dyer

• Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

• Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

• Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.

“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

• Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them.

You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.