Life Is Beautiful

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Life is beautiful. Everything in nature has a beautiful simplicity that causes me to be amazed and inspired. I love walking in nature; it gives me a sense of closeness with life. I feel the peace that comes from just being outside of oneself and all of the busy things that come with living. It puts a lot of things in perspective for me, after all what are my problems in comparison to the immensity of the world. Then you gaze up at the starry night, and you just feel even smaller. My mind cannot even begin to comprehend the vast void that is the universe. I mean, how can it? How can you capture something infinite and put it in a finite space? It is impossible. Just thinking about it now fills me with awe and a feeling that I can’t quite explain. It’s almost a feeling of being completely overwhelmed with a feeling of insignificance in comparison to it all.

Yet we are everything.

Mankind is one the most miraculous forms of life here on Earth. We are among the most (if not the most) complicated beings on this planet. It’s beautiful.  If one studies the intricacies of our biology, you cannot help but wonder how all of these things came to be. Now, if you look beyond the biology to psychology, sociology, or anthropology you will quickly realize the complexity of not only our physical nature, but our “human” nature as well. Just think and reflect on all of the different nuances of our lives and our society. It is truly amazing.

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What makes man, man? This question can spur a wide variety of different answers, all of which may be true. But might I suggest that there is something more to us than just long carbon chains and nucleotides? Or that there is more behind our minds than the chemical processes that take place between neurons in our nervous system? I truly believe that behind all the science and physical aspects of life (human and general), there is a spiritual aspect to it all.

Let me propose an example to illustrate my position: have you ever been to a funeral of someone who has recently passed away? If you haven’t, let me explain to you a little of what I have perceived and seen, and I would expect everyone who has also been to one would be able to agree with me on this. Try and picture this scene if you can: you walk in, and there is the casket of the deceased. You walk over to the side of it and look down. Now, if you’re close to the deceased you might think, “That is not the person that I knew…” Yes, it is the same body of the person that you loved and associated with, but it is not them. That lifeless mass that is sitting there is not the person you once loved.

If you were not particularly close to the person, you might see them, pay your respects to the family, but when all is said and done the person frankly doesn’t seem real. The body almost appears to be made of wax as if it was just a piece of art; yet that person only days earlier were living, breathing, intelligent beings that could choose and act for themselves. What is the difference then between then and now? As I stated earlier, I believe that it is our spirit.

This is my point: regardless of the beauty and intricacies of life here on earth, biology is not what determines life. We determine who we are. We are the ones who have control whether or not something happens in our lives. We have the choice to let our disabilities and weaknesses define who we are and what we can do, or in contrast let our strengths and talents shine and influence the world for good. We are more than just a bunch of carbon and hydrogen smashed together.

Whether you are a believer in Evolution or Intelligent Design I think that my following argument will have some sort of validity for you. If we are all to live and die in this life and depending on your beliefs, whether it is to cease to exist, to pass to a new facet of existence through resurrection or reincarnation, or to continue on to some other “afterlife” journey that others may believe, if we are all to live and die, ultimately leaving our bodies to crumble and decay, then why do we define ourselves so much by our physical bodies or aspects that will ultimately just break down and decay into dust? Why should we not judge another by the content of his character rather than the color of their skin? Why don’t we show we believe that all men are created equally, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, rather than just say that we do?

In the words of my good friends, the Black-Eyed Peas: “But if you only have love for your own race then you only leave space to discriminate. And to discriminate only generates hate and when you hate then you're bound to get irate. Yeah madness is what you demonstrate and that's exactly how anger works and operates. Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight, take control of your mind and meditate, let your soul gravitate to the love…” It is so simple: we can choose to love regardless of what others may do, or we can choose to define another and hate them because of what they do wrong instead of seeing what they do right.

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In the last six months I cannot tell you how many people I have met who are truly amazing, gifted people. They have decided that it is time for them to take control of their lives rather than let the masses decide who they are for them. When life tries to tell you: no, do you let it, or do you push forward with determination, striving to achieve your goal? These people that I have met have inspired me so much in the last six months to be a better me regardless of who others try and tell me to be. It is a decision, and frankly I have decided not to give in to my weaknesses and I have overcome many of them with only the help of God and my determination.  Many may lead and inspire, but only we can choose to follow.

If we so choose, we can change this world for the better. If we so choose, we can love rather than hate; we can support and uplift instead of belittle and tear down. If we so choose, we can fall down to never rise again or we can pick ourselves up, brush off our knees and elbows and continue on the path towards success. To be successful is a choice; to be a failure is simply to quit trying.

So I dedicate this to all of those who have fallen, but have risen up and denied failure its victory. I dedicate this to those who have fallen but still haven’t mustered the strength needed to rise up; don’t worry it will come. I dedicate this to all of those standing who take a moment to lend a lifting hand to the fallen and the desperate. It isn’t the failure that defines our character, rather what we choose to do after having failed.

Today is the day to change. Now, is our time to redefine who we are and for what we stand.

What will you choose?

With Love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.