Last week, the newlywed husband of a friend’s daughter passed away from leukemia. He was only in his thirties. His passing reminded me once again that while life is given to each of us, the length of that life is never equal—and none of us can know how much time we have.
My own father passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage at the young age of 42. Experiences like these remind me how important it is to treasure each and every day, and to live while asking ourselves, “What would I do if today were the last day of my life?”
“Death makes no distinction between young and old. Being young does not guarantee a long life, nor does being old mean that death will come sooner. We never know when our time will come. That is why we must live fully in the present.”
Here is another quote from Shinzō Mori:
“We should never approach our work halfheartedly. If we are going to do something, we must put our whole heart and soul into it.”
It is Monday, the beginning of a new week. Sometimes we may find ourselves thinking, “Here comes another difficult task.” But having work to take on is itself something we can do only because we are alive.
So while we are here, let us find meaning in what we do. Let us approach life with an open heart, enjoy what we can, devote ourselves fully to the work before us, and do our best to achieve meaningful results.
Image: Shinzō Mori（1896-1992）