Don't Die Slowly

He or she who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day,
who never changes pace,
who does not risk and change the color of his or her clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly.

He or she who makes the television his or her guru,

dies slowly.

He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
and dotting ones "i’s" rather than a whirlwind of emotions,

the kind that make your eyes glimmer,
that turn a yawn into a smile,
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings,
dies slowly.

He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy,
who is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
he or she who does not forego sound advice

at least once in his or her life,

dies slowly.

He or she who does not travel,

who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself or herself
dies slowly.

He or she who slowly destroys his or her own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself or herself to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his or her own bad luck,

about the rain that never stops,
dies slowly.

He or she who abandons a project before starting it,

who fails to ask questions on subjects he or she doesn't know,

he or she who doesn't reply when asked something he or she knows,
dies slowly.

Let's try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort

far greater than the simple fact of breathing.
Only a burning patience will lead us
to the attainment of a splendid happiness.

~ Martha Medeiros (Brazilian Writer)

In Spanish (En Español): "Muere Lentamente"