5 Quotes from Oprah's Interview with Tuesdays With Morrie Author
In honor of 20 years since the publication of Tuesdays With Morrie, Oprah interviewed author Mitch Albom. This book particularly resonates with me as ALS, the disease Morrie dies from, happens to be the same illness that my father died from. I find added meaning in this as many people's death stories involve cancer, and often times I think back on ALS...slightly more rare, slightly less heard of...slightly unknown, overall.
If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it as it will give you insight on the beauty of dying. Sure, there are many lessons that can be gathered by such a book...so how do you come up with only 5? I certainly have many thoughts on the lessons of dying. But there are lessons to be gained for the living as well. Things you can do to live your life now... a little deeper...a little richer. Here are 5 I wanted to share with you:
1. GIVE BACK
There will always be someone who has more then you. There will always be someone who has less then you. You're better off turning towards someone who is worse off then you. I love this simple concept. Why are we so preoccupied with those who are are ahead of us? Doing better? Doing more? There are so many individuals who are less fortunate then us...why not channel our jealousies and neurosis and turn our energy towards those who would feel so fortunate to receive a little help? For example, Mitch goes to Haiti once a month to the orphanage he co-founded with his wife.
2. FORGIVE
Someone will always upset you. You're better off forgiving that person, even if you're right. You never know when it may be your last conversation. For example, Mitch mentions a time when Morrie starts weeping while thinking about a friend who had recently passed that he was still on bad terms with.
3. USE YOUR VOICE
You have a unique, distinct voice that needs to be heard. There is a gift within you that others need to hear from. Whether it feels like it or not, you have something inside of you that needs to be shared. For example, Mitch was previously a sports writer. Tuesdays with Morrie was the first book he wrote that truly had someone else' interest in mind. He decided to take a chance on steering away from what he was used to and man...look what happened!
4. CALL SOMEONE
Call your old professor....not 16 years later. Who is someone that you haven't kept in touch with? What can you do to rekindle that relationship? In a world of social media where we see what others are doing 24/7...why not take a moment to reach out to someone of whom we once truly cared about?
5. RECALL YOUR SPIRIT
Mitch mentions to Oprah that he believes many people have been following someone else's dictates for quite some time as oppose to fulfilling their true potential by making a difference with their own voice. Following their own path. What is one small action you can take today that expresses the raw, real, unique genetic makeup of cells that is you?
Catch a clip of Oprah's interview with Mitch Albom here. Or listen to the full podcast:
Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations: "Mitch Albom: The Dying Know the Secrets to a Good Life"
