Review: Tuesdays With Morrie (2003), Mitch Albom
Posted: Friday, April 17, 2009
by Jeff Brown
Inner Projection
This was
huge when it came out, a national best seller. Why? Because, as the
author states, too many sleepwalk through life not aware of most of
what they seek is pointless and unfulfilling.
When business owners take their lives after failure and short lived success, when bilkers of the innocent build empires and party hardy but for a few years only to end up in jail for the remained, when hard earned success is followed by death from cancer, when 40 million a year die in aborted births before even ever being able to come to this earth there certainly has to be a greater reason for existence than increased social status, obtained degrees, fleeting political or military power, monetary gain.
How
stupid is humankind anyway? Well, read what the professor has to say,
and don't wait for the dead and dying to get the message. There's a lot
of living who you should be listening to as well. According to this
book, we all VERY MUCH need to get a clue . . . before it's too late.
"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." Tuesdays With Morrie
How often, for how long will this message be overlooked? In all the students, family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers I've met, those who bare swollen eyes of sad, the dull soul, the poor in heart that comes from never having the desire, ability, understanding, perception that the only thing they are here to do is discover what makes them burn, develop it, and pass it on through service and desire to bring value to one, then another, and another, and another, pushing, pushing, pushing until one can reach, reach, reach to give no more.
How many have gone for the safe way, the accepted, the dull, the standard, the money, prestige, fame, and fortune overlooking not only the self but others as this misguided "understanding" eats away at them until it has eaten them whole.
How sad. How wrong. How often and to how many does this happen to? Unfortunately, for one reason or another, most.
"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it." Tuesdays With Morrie
Of course!
Why take great wisdom only from a dying man or from the dead. Why do we not believe our living prophets. Why do we have to only believe those on their death bed or in their graves before we take action, that great leap of faith.
Ah, but there are so many, so damn many who will get inspired but never take the leap of faith required to excel and exceed the norm, the many, to become the few, the one even who stands up amongst all the rest. But not for personal glory and fame, but to stand up, to stand up tall, pushing back the shoulders, straightening the waist and bowing the back to reach down, reach way down, down and deep to pull up, pull up one, two, three, four and more and more and more and more brothers and sisters. But to not only pull them up but to teach them the pulling and standing and stiffening of character and strength and pride in being to overwhelm the masses with passion, compassion, passion, and passion, and passion and love.
For is there anything else?
"Love wins. Love always wins."
"Love each other or die." Tuesdays With Morrie
Don't let culture win. Don't let the naysayer, the backtracker, the bowbender, the wrong-ender pull you down.
"If you're trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down on you anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone." Tuesdays With Morrie
Open your heart account today. It is the perfect time to invest in that which has no down market. Be the one to inspire, not to merely fade into the background. There are no special people, only all to many not willing to step up to their potential. You too can be exceptional. But use your exception to promote and lift. Never look down your nose or any of your anatomy to others, for that road is short and the fall is steep.
Love your brothers. Love your sisters. Forget money, race, color, religion, stupid, smart, ugly, lame, all that separates and differentiates. Love on equal grounds. And do it again and again and again. Oh, and the wonder and joy found within. The wonder and joy found within.
"Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone." Tuesdays With Morrie
Why read this book? How can you avoid it? If you're an imperfect, unhappy, struggling, selfish, unfulfilled, misguided, stagnant, hopeless, flailing human living on the planet earth, I suggest you read it.
When business owners take their lives after failure and short lived success, when bilkers of the innocent build empires and party hardy but for a few years only to end up in jail for the remained, when hard earned success is followed by death from cancer, when 40 million a year die in aborted births before even ever being able to come to this earth there certainly has to be a greater reason for existence than increased social status, obtained degrees, fleeting political or military power, monetary gain.
"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." Tuesdays With Morrie
How often, for how long will this message be overlooked? In all the students, family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers I've met, those who bare swollen eyes of sad, the dull soul, the poor in heart that comes from never having the desire, ability, understanding, perception that the only thing they are here to do is discover what makes them burn, develop it, and pass it on through service and desire to bring value to one, then another, and another, and another, pushing, pushing, pushing until one can reach, reach, reach to give no more.
How many have gone for the safe way, the accepted, the dull, the standard, the money, prestige, fame, and fortune overlooking not only the self but others as this misguided "understanding" eats away at them until it has eaten them whole.
How sad. How wrong. How often and to how many does this happen to? Unfortunately, for one reason or another, most.
"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it." Tuesdays With Morrie
Of course!
Why take great wisdom only from a dying man or from the dead. Why do we not believe our living prophets. Why do we have to only believe those on their death bed or in their graves before we take action, that great leap of faith.
Ah, but there are so many, so damn many who will get inspired but never take the leap of faith required to excel and exceed the norm, the many, to become the few, the one even who stands up amongst all the rest. But not for personal glory and fame, but to stand up, to stand up tall, pushing back the shoulders, straightening the waist and bowing the back to reach down, reach way down, down and deep to pull up, pull up one, two, three, four and more and more and more and more brothers and sisters. But to not only pull them up but to teach them the pulling and standing and stiffening of character and strength and pride in being to overwhelm the masses with passion, compassion, passion, and passion, and passion and love.
For is there anything else?
"Love wins. Love always wins."
"Love each other or die." Tuesdays With Morrie
Don't let culture win. Don't let the naysayer, the backtracker, the bowbender, the wrong-ender pull you down.
"If you're trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down on you anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone." Tuesdays With Morrie
Open your heart account today. It is the perfect time to invest in that which has no down market. Be the one to inspire, not to merely fade into the background. There are no special people, only all to many not willing to step up to their potential. You too can be exceptional. But use your exception to promote and lift. Never look down your nose or any of your anatomy to others, for that road is short and the fall is steep.
Love your brothers. Love your sisters. Forget money, race, color, religion, stupid, smart, ugly, lame, all that separates and differentiates. Love on equal grounds. And do it again and again and again. Oh, and the wonder and joy found within. The wonder and joy found within.
"Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone." Tuesdays With Morrie
Why read this book? How can you avoid it? If you're an imperfect, unhappy, struggling, selfish, unfulfilled, misguided, stagnant, hopeless, flailing human living on the planet earth, I suggest you read it.
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