The Secret of Life

 

Some of us know the song Secret O' Life by James Taylor. He sings that the secret of love is opening up your heart and the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. It is hard to argue with either of those. The more you open your heart to love or life the more of it you will find.

 

I have a quote at the beginning of The Relationship Training Manual for Men by Ben Franklin. It simply says: “If you would love, love and be lovable”. No reason to argue with that either. I think between Ben and James you pretty much have the keys to love and life. 

 

Yet there is a piece I think is missing. It is not the “what” you need to do, it is the “how” do you do it part. How do you enjoy the passage of time? How do you open your heart? How do you love and be lovable? Where is the simple statement about how to do those things so you can more fully partake in love and life?

 

Every book I’ve read that tries to offer a path, every guru I’ve heard that speaks on the subject all pretty much focus on one thing - Gratitude. The more grateful you are the more enjoyment you will know, the more love you will have and the more loveable you will be.

While I don’t have a song to sing about it or a kite to fly I would like to offer this simple refrain:

 

If you do unto others as you would like to done unto

If you take moments to appreciate the life you have

If you stop saying “I have to do this or that”

And replace it with “I get to do this or that”

If you appreciate others as you would like to be appreciated

If you appreciate you as you would like others to appreciate you

If you show more kindness to yourself

If you show more kindness to others

If you laugh at you more and them less

If you give more and take pleasure in the giving

If you forgive yourself for your imperfections

If you forgive others for theirs

If you do all this you still will not know the secret of life.

You may appreciate your life more

You may appreciate others more

You might even be happier and more satisfied.

But the secret of life is not a secret

There is no secret of life

Life is what it is.

You live it as best you can.

You make your mistakes

You hurt yourself

You hurt others

You do what you can with what you have

You are what you are

You can enjoy you and your life

You cannot enjoy you and your life

Some days are better than others.