Live as if Today is Your Last Day in this World
View(s):
Late Dr. Tharindu
Eye opening lessons from Late Dr. Tharindu Pelandagamage’s Life
Yesterday was indeed a very sad day for my family as well as everyone who is a part of Colombo South International (CSI) School as our dynamic and benevolent young Principal Dr. Tharindu Pelandagamage passed away most unexpectedly, reminding all of us of the uncertainty of life. He was in his late thirties and he left the entire school in a shock as he was such a good hearted personality to each and everyone, he lived a highly contributive life towards every student he encountered. On the flip side, I heard a story of two youngsters who were at a petrol shed in Kelaniya and they were about to kill each other just because they could not share some rambutan. When one person has understood the value of life another seems to miss it largely. Also, due to the current circumstances when people are struggling to obtain a meal, we also find another set of people who have very rich slogans on their three wheelers yet they sell petrol at two thousand five hundred rupees a liter without the slightest concern about the pain that others are going through. Further confusing many, the good seem to have to go through all the problems whilst the bad have everything they wish for. Amidst all the calamity that is taking place externally I am writing my article peacefully with a clear conscience as though today is the last day of my life in this world.
Many people live as if they have the authority to decide the timings in this world with very little understanding of the reality, that none of us have authority over the point of entry to this world as well as the point of exit from this world. Even leaders such as John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln who are two of the most famous leaders the world has ever witnessed from the USA, one of the most powerful nations in the world, even both of them had to leave this world unexpectedly. Michael Jackson who had all the riches in the world could not prolong his life even though he tried everything possible, reminding us of the uncertainty of life, inviting us to live each and every second to the fullest.
Just as it is important to have big dreams it is equally important to live a happy and content life with what you have attained at this moment of time in life. There is nothing wrong in a young man dreaming of driving a Mercedes Benz but it is detrimental if he grumbles and murmurs about the Maruti Alto he owns now. I had extraordinary dreams even at a point that I did not even possess my own foot cycle. Just as I was committed towards my dreams, so was I equally happy with what I already had on my plate at that moment. The true joy of life is not evaluated on what you have but on who you are.
There are filthy rich businessmen who live miserable lives and also there are poor old grandmas who sell achcharu (a Sri Lankan street food) in the streets and are not as wealthy, yet they live blissful lives. The death of the principal of CSI School certainly reminds us to take another serious look at our priorities in life. Even at this moment of time I carry a lot of dreams with me, yet I am extremely happy and content with what I have right now. However, if you don’t walk with contentment between your present and future dreams, then there will always be dissatisfaction.
Happiness is not something you find in the future but it is something that exists in the present moment. Life is all about today and not tomorrow as tomorrow is not guaranteed. All you have is only today, hence live an extremely responsible life today, in case you are blessed to wake up tomorrow, you will not have any regrets.
What do you really want in life? Have you ever sat with yourself and had a quiet conversation with you? We are so interested to know what happens in others lives as we believe that our mistakes can be justified through pointing out others’ stinky acts. What we must actually be doing is to treat our own wounds with utmost care rather than pin pointing on others wounds. Our late Principal Dr. Tharindu Pelandagamage was so interested in helping others and healing them rather than arousing the wounds in the children and parents. He was always quick to love and slow to judge people. Unfortunately, many of us are quite quick to judge others yet we are extremely slow in loving another. Think for a moment, how many people have you been able to cheer up? And how many people have you hurt today?
Even though we all have our own strengths, we all are weak in many ways. Hence, it is essential that we understand our weaknesses. Some people tend to think that they are perfect in every area of their life, therefore they are uncorrectable. If you are a diabetic and you refuse to check your blood sugar, you are sure to collapse in the near future. Adhering to directions and being humble in front of corrections are two important values we must inculcate in our next generation. Just as you should not seek advice about your haircut from a carpenter, you should not forget to get some advice from a master chef when you prepare your next innovative dish.
Tomorrow will never come as every day is today. What you cultivate today and what you expect out of it will purely decide if you will attain a peaceful sleep or if you would have sleepless nights. There are days I had all the riches in the world yet I was so miserable with no sleep at night as my conscience was dead during those nights. This is why I keep on bellowing on tuning your conscience to the master chord of honesty. Condemnation is the most powerful poison that has the ability to steal away the happiness of a person thus living a life free of condemnation is important above everything else. Living an honest life is the only way to avoid condemnation.
Also, we must understand that honesty is a rich value that everyone does not possess. I used to get hurt very quickly whenever someone manipulated me but overtime with experience I understood that it is utter foolishness to expect honesty from everyone. Just as you understand the truth you also need to understand the reality of life as well.
Just as late Dr. Tharindu Pelandagamage, do you have confidence in yourself so that the people see you as a living example? Are you a contributor towards the growth of the next generation or are you a parasite that sucks life out of them? Every now and then I tell myself that I should live today as if it is the last day of my life in this world, so that I will have no fear before death. Happiness is found in the present and not in the future. Many people tend to miss this truth that they run hard to attain happiness in the future. If you live this moment in life honestly to the fullest with no condemnation then you will be able to find happiness. Do not seek happiness as though it is a treasure hidden somewhere, which demands rigorous efforts to be found. Happiness is right here but it is merely dependent on your perspective and approach in life.
I was feeling very sad that I could not appreciate Dr. Tharindu Pelandagamage personally, as I never expected him to leave this world so soon. Therefore, with a painful heart I urge my readers to appreciate and value everything you have today as tomorrow may never come for you to appreciate. We as a country are less appreciative and much discriminating that we need a stern thought revolution to correct this system. A system change should start from within the minds of all of us and not from the parliament.
One day I spat out of my jeep window and my son Joshua corrected me then and there saying that what I did was incorrect. I wholeheartedly apologised, as I knew understanding who I am is the first step towards deciding who I want to be. If I do not get into a scale and weigh myself in order to find out if I am overweight, how in the world would I make a strategy to lose weight and live longer. Therefore, live as if today is your last day in this world so that you will have the possibility to maximise each and every second in your life to be the very best of you.
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philipnehri@chandanalepa.lk / voice – 0779 526 496
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