Chapter Five Grateful - But Who Do We Thank?

CHAPTER FIVE
GRATEFUL – BUT WHO DO WE THANK?
This chapter revolved on the meaning and realization of life. What is life? What gives it meaning? What
makes it worth living? If we are to answer these inquisitions, we will have overflowing polls of answers.
For life is defined based on the perspective of the body where spirit and reason is contained.
What is life? Lexically, it is the ability to grow, change, etc., that separates plants and animals from
things like water or rocks. However, to a pessimist, it may mean enduring hell and torture every single
day from the moment you wake up until you sleep. Life is a torture, and just like in pep talk, no one
comes out of it alive. The struggles, pains and challenges this life may give are the reasons why a
pessimist views life as a torture. Perhaps, living is a struggle but who doesn’t undergo struggle in this
life? We are all one in this.
On the other hand, to an optimist, life is the greatest gift. An optimist thinks that the mere fact of being
live makes life beautiful. Life is experiencing beauty and being grateful of those experiences. Perhaps,
some people would think that being optimistic in life is only for wealthy people. This is due to the fact
that they are served in a silver platter the very day they are born. They haven’t experienced the other
side of life - a life of poverty. They never experienced how is it like to have no food to eat, no shelter to
reside on, no clothing to wear, simply because they have no money to get what they need. Maybe you
cannot see beauty in such situation. However, an optimist will look in the bright side of a dark life. The
very fact that you are breathing is more than enough reason to be grateful of the life you have. This is
now the signal of transcendence.
What gives meaning to life? What makes it worth living? This chapter presented pessimists turned
optimists. As presented herein, due to the signal of transcendence which is more like epiphany,
pessimists are able to repair the holes in their life. The stories of Chesterton and Dostoevsky narrated in
this chapter are modes to realize that when we are on the verge of death, we will realize the value of
life. Near to death experiences or the like make people repent on their doings. Perhaps, that has always
been the case, when you are about to lose something you took for granted before, you will finally see its
value. As it was said in this chapter, “the vital divide is between those who care enough to think
seriously about life and those who are indifferent”, this is now a point worth to ponder. Where do you
belong? Do you care enough to think seriously about life? Or you do not care? To care enough is to live
each day as if it is your last. To care enough is to do good. To care enough is to forgive. To care enough is
to love. To care enough is to be happy. To care enough is to make experiences to look back. To care
enough is to be human.
So then, what makes life meaningful and worthwhile? Life becomes meaningful and worthwhile when
you share it with others. This means to give meaning to life is to be grateful of having it. To be grateful of
the life you have been privileged to have with is to share this blessing to others. This means you should
grace people with your existence by making them feel loved and happy. This life has enough pain to give
but when you embody happiness you become an antidote of the pain. When you share love and
goodness with other people they will see that life is as not as bad as they think before for there are
people like you. I believe that makes life meaningful.
When your life becomes meaningful, that goes to say that it is worthwhile. Seeing people with their best
smiles, with you as the reason, feels heavenly. When you shed away pessimism in your life and put on
optimism, life becomes beautiful. When you take down indifference out of your soul and replace it with
care, nothing is ever regretful. When you become grateful, you will see life, with all its days as a blessing.

Chapter Five Grateful - But Who Do We Thank?

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter Five Grateful - But Who Do We Thank?

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter Five Grateful - But Who Do We Thank?

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CHAPTER FIVE

GRATEFUL – BUT WHO DO WE THANK?

You might also like