Tuesdays with Morrie

by Mitch Albom

“Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do”; “Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it”; “Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others”; “Don’t assume that it’s too late to get involved.”

“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. Most people can’t

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.”

“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 was stunned at how easily things went on without me.

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.”

“Let it come in. We think we don’t deserve love, we think if we let it in we’ll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said, ‘Love is the only rational act.’ ”

Why are we embarrassed by silence? What comfort do we find in all the noise?

How useful it would be to put a daily limit on self-pity. Just a few tearful minutes, then on with the day.

Morrie sometimes mourn in morninv but then he stop, importabt things is give yourself time to cry but you have to know when you stop

Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too—even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling.”

“the culture doesn’t encourage you to think about such things until you’re about to die.

But there still seemed to be no clear answers. Do you take care of others or take care of your “inner child”? Return to traditional values or reject tradition as useless? Seek success or seek simplicity? Just Say No or Just Do It?

“Everyone knows they’re going to die,” he said again, “but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.”

“Do what the Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, ‘Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?’ ”

“The truth is, Mitch,” he said, “once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”

if you really listen to that bird on your shoulder, if you accept that you can die at any time—then you might not be as ambitious as you are.”

“The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn’t the family.

‘Love each other or perish.’ ”

I’m not sure I could do it. Sure, people would come visit, friends, associates, but it’s not the same as having someone who will not leave.

Don’t cling to things, because everything is impermanent.”

But detachment doesn’t mean you don’t let the experience penetrate you. On the contrary, you let it penetrate you fully. That’s how you are able to leave it.”

How we feel lonely, sometimes to the point of tears, but we don’t let those tears come because we are not supposed to cry. Or how we feel a surge of love for a partner but we don’t say anything because we’re frozen with the fear of what those words might do to the relationship.

Same for loneliness:

Morrie observed that most of the patients there had been rejected and ignored in their lives, made to feel that they didn’t exist.

“You know how I always interpreted that? These were people so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works. You can’t substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship.

When culture always say and repeat morr and more

can tell you, as I’m sitting here dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you’re looking for, no matter how much of them you have.”

Money and power which look like very important doesnt help when dying

“The truth is, you don’t get satisfaction from those things. You know what really gives you satisfaction?” What? “Offering others what you have to give.” You sound like a Boy Scout.

its isnt always about money it can be your time dedication etc

Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

“Mitch, if you’re trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at 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.”

believe in being fully present,” Morrie said. “That means you should be with the person you’re with.

“Part of the problem, Mitch, is that everyone is in such a hurry,” Morrie said. “People haven’t found meaning in their lives, so they’re running all the time looking for it.

They don’t know what they want in a partner. They don’t know who they are themselves—so how can they know who they’re marrying?”

Lookng for prtner looks so imprtant cause our culture doesnt give us enough love

“there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can’t talk openly about what goes on between you, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike.

“Love each other or perish.”

“People are only mean when they’re threatened,”

But the big things—how we think, what we value—those you must choose yourself. You can’t let anyone—or any society—determine those for

“It’s the same for women not being thin enough, or men not being rich enough. It’s just what our culture would have you believe. Don’t believe it.”

“Look, no matter where you live, the biggest defect we human beings have is our shortsightedness.

Pandangn terlalu sempitt gamau liat kedepan,sakdek saknyek

“Don’t let go too soon, but don’t hang on too long.”

“Be compassionate,” Morrie whispered. “And take responsibility for each other. If we only learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place.”

“Yes. For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done. You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened. That doesn’t help you when you get to where I am.

Forgive ourselves

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.”

“In business, people negotiate to win. They negotiate to get what they want. Maybe you’re too used to that. Love is different. Love is when you are as concerned about someone else’s situation as you are about your own.

Sometimes, when you’re losing someone, you hang on to whatever tradition you can.