Wisdom from "Tuesdays with Morrie" (Mitch Albom)

Morrie was dying from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).  These were his lessons.

• 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 are 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.
• America had become a Persian bazaar of self-help.  But there still seemed to be no clear answers.
• Tension of opposites - part of me is scared of leaving school, part of me wants to go desperately.
• "Morrie," Koppel said, "that was seveny years ago your mother dies.  The pain still goes on?" "You bet," Morrie whispered.
• A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.  (Henry Adams)
• If you accept that you can die at any time, you might not be as ambitious as you are.
• If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you have to have children.
• Don't cling to things, because everything is impermanent. (Buddist saying)
• Remember what I told you about detachment? Let it go. Tell yourself, "That's envy, I'm going to seperate from it now.' And walk away.
• Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn. (Mahatma Gandhi)
• Do the kind of things that come from the heart. When you do, you won't be dissatisfied, you won't be envious, you won't be longing for somebody else's things. On the contrary, you'll be overwelmed with what comes back.
• "Death ends a life, not a relationship."
• No way I can go back (being cured), I'm a different a different self now.  I'm different in my attitudes. I'm different in terms of trying to graple with the big questions, the ultimate questions, the ones that won't go away. "That's the thing, you see.  Once you get your fingers on the important questions, you can't turn away from them."