I Forgot to Die

by Khalil Rafati

I read somewhere that 90% of the thoughts we have every day are repetitions of the same thoughts we had the day before, and the day before that, and so on. We tell ourselves the same shit over and over each day and we wonder why we never change. Our thoughts stay the same, our habits stay the same, so our lives stay the same. I could read every self-help book ever written, but it wouldn’t matter if I continued to cling to my story like a life preserver.

I believe all of us will be quite shocked when we take our final breath and find our convictions shattered to pieces by the real, unifying truth of our timeless existence. But for now, here on this earth, I am glad to finally understand that there is only the straight and narrow—the path of love, truth, compassion, kindness, and hard work. Each day I fall short of the mark, but each morning when I am blessed with another try I make a pact with myself to do my best.