Setiap beberapa waktu, seseorang yang kita kenal meninggal dunia dan kemudian kita tersadar akan arti hidup. Death is a certain thing. It’s not something we can avoid. Yes, we can try to do something to avoid it temporarily, but somehow things happen; and there’s always something beyond our control. Walau ini sebuah certain-thing, kita sering lupa. Kita seakan merasa kehidupan itu abadi dan bahwa kita ini abadi.
Salah satu buku yang mengubah cara pandang saya akan hidup adalah Tuesdays with Morrie. Setelah saya cek, saya membacanya 5 tahun lalu. Beberapa kalimat menarik dalam buku itu diantaranya adalah:
Everyone knows they re going to die,’ he said again, ‘but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.
Dan mengenai life and love:
So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.
Your life may end any time. Kadang kita mengorbankan apa yang ada di sekitar kita untuk sesuatu yang jauh di depan dan tidak terlihat, hanya apa yang kita bayangkan akan terjadi. Apa yang terjadi, jika ini adalah hari terakhir kita? We dont have any clue about our future, but present is a sure thing.
Salah satu pidato yang “…mengubah cara pandang akan hidup…” adalah commencement addressnya Steve Jobs di Stanford.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Saya yakin, dan apalagi setelah membaca biografi Steve Jobs yang tebalnya seperti alkitab, Steve Jobs mempraktikkannya dengan baik. I think he died with no regret. Now, back to us, as asked by Steve Jobs “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?“
