i want to be

i want to be a better man before getting involved in another relationship and getting married.

[Book Reading] Tuesdays with Morrie

Two days ago i bought this book written by Mitch Albom, the words on the back of which reminded me of my first pastor John Newman who had been like my second father having taught me about humanity and life meaning in a more profound way. When I was feeling exhausted and dreadful out of work, I stepped in the bookstore near my workplace and found this book. It again reminded me of how much I miss John and how much I have wished to meet him again. After so many years of searching for a wise person who, as I have expected, is able to teach me profoundly, I instead decided to purchase this book and wished to find something which would psycologically and philosophically lead me out, and I'm glad my decision was right.

Here let me quote what I think is wise and right:

----
~page 35
"Dying," Morrie suddenly said, "is only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy."
Why?
"Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own.
~ page 36
Most people can't do it. They're more unhappy than me - even in my current condition.
"I may be dying, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls. How many people can say that?"
I was astonished by his complete lack of self-pity. Morrie, who could no longer dance, swim, bathe, or walk; Morrie, who could no longer answer his own door, dry himself after a shower, or even roll over in bed. How could he be so accepting? I watched him struggle with his fork, picking at a piece of tomato, missing it the first two times - a pathetic scene, and yet I could not deny that sitting in his presence was almost magically serene, the same calm breeze that soothed me back in college."
~page 43
...I had gotten knocked over by a British photographer who barely mutter "Sorry" before sweeping past, his huge metal lenses strapped around his neck. I thought of something else Morrie had told me: "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."
I knew he was right.
----

It's good, isn't it?

I stopped at the end of page 43 and then hopped off MRT, thinking about some new important questions that just hit me:
Can religion be wrong?
Can chasing eternal life be the wrong focus?
Without the idea of being afraid of death, will people shift their attention to more caring and loving people around them, and more treasuring what they have and the way they live in their limited lives?
John once told me, "quite often the moral behaviour of non-belivers is better than that of belivers." Why is it so even with God as their center of belief?

Seems the meaning of life is not yet coming to an end, and I am still and will keep searching for the answers.