Seize the Day: Pursue Happiness in the One Life You Have

Yep, life is fleeting, and every moment is a precious gift.

As we navigate divisive actions, politics, and a lot of global anger, one thing becomes abundantly clear—our time on this Earth is finite, and we owe it to ourselves to make the most of it.

Ask yourself: Are you truly living a life that you love and that provides peace and joy even in the midst of any chaos?

We found this poignant writing by Mario de Andrade, filled with authenticity and honesty. Enjoy.

“I counted my years
and found that I have less time to live
from here on than I have lived up to now.

I feel like that child who won a packet of sweets:
he ate the first with pleasure,
but when he realized that there were few left,
he began to enjoy them intensely.

I no longer have time for endless meetings
where statutes,
rules,
procedures and internal regulations are discussed,
knowing that nothing will be achieved.

I no longer have time to support the absurd people who,
despite their chronological age, haven’t grown up.

My time is too short:
I want the essence,
my soul is in a hurry.

I don’t have many sweets in the package anymore.

I want to live next to human people,
very human,
who know how to laugh at their mistakes
and who are not inflated by their triumphs
and who take on their responsibilities.

Thus human dignity is defended and we move towards truth and honesty.

It is the essential that makes life worth living.

I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch hearts,
people who have been taught by the hard blows of life
to grow with gentle touches of the soul.

Yes, I’m in a hurry, I’m in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.

I don’t intend to waste any of the leftover sweets.

I am sure they will be delicious,
much more than what I have eaten so far.

My goal is to reach the end satisfied
and at peace with my loved ones
and my conscience.

We have two lives
and the second begins when you realize you only have one. ”

~ Mario de Andrade

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