You are there, at THAT place. The final steps crossed at the end of your road.
I see it happening. I hear it coming.
The hustle and bustle of the emergency room stops, the monitors are silenced, the whirring hum of machines paused…flatline…
I have walked these moments with my patients many times. Each time it is never easier. I am humbled by the love and care from family and friends. It is sobering to witness.
Unless it is not…
You see, we all enter this world with family — a cacophony of noise — crying — and joy; yet as we exit, upon our final breath, we will be alone. That final step will no longer be within these sands of time…but outside of it. What pathway took you to this point?
I am not speaking physically, or even medically. I am speaking of the process through which you posture your life — your footprints on the sands of time — your soul.
We all must make decisions daily. We must pass one foot in front of the other and each step is a decision. We have 86,400 seconds every day so don’t let someone’s negative 10 seconds ruin the rest of your remaining 86,390 seconds. It may be brief and painful, but it may bring about growth.
It may be brief and painful, but it may bring about growth
Are those 10 seconds a pebble in your shoe or are they a lesson for learning? Longfellow’s first stanza in “A Psalm of Life” opens the idea that life is not an empty dream but a real and earnest existence. He challenges the notion that death is the ultimate goal of life, emphasizing that the soul transcends mortality after our final step.
What is the pebble in your shoe? That tiny discomfort that nags persistently, that obstacle, those negative 10 seconds at work? They often can be easily overlooked in the rush of life. Are you able to brush it off or do you focus on it? Are you giving your limited time its significance and wasting your day?
We confront Longfellow’s reflection on the brevity of fleeting time with the idea that ‘Art is long’. This certainly resonates with me as I have witnessed how quickly my children have grown. We must cherish moments now, for it is fleeting. At the same time, life’s pursuit of mere pleasure or, for that matter, wallows of sorrow (recall those 10 seconds) detracts from having meaningful action, from creating and maintaining longevity beyond ourselves.
Think…Mona Lisa.
Grasping this understanding, we must continually progress and better ourselves — we must create brushstrokes on the canvas of our lives with purpose.
Our purpose of life would then be to act, to continually progress and better ourselves
Juggling the demands of life, we encounter our own version of Longfellow’s “muffled drums…beating funeral marches”. The cadence does persist. He argues in his poem that we ought not to be driven like dumb cattle but to be heroes in the strife. Celebrate your daily wins, remind yourself of those wins often, dream big, and create!
As my beard grays, I find myself more aware of the urgency of life. When I witness the inevitability of death in my career as a physician, I am reminded that we all pass away, and in that same moment our stories are spoken the loudest. Who will speak your story, and what will they say?
Addressing the pebble in your shoe is your call to act in the present. Throw off your encumbrance and run your race with endurance. May it be guided by inner conviction and a belief in purpose. “Trust no future, howe’er pleasant!” aligns with the caution to not be blindly led by your past or uncertain future. You must have a never ending and proactive pursuit of goals to leave “footprints in the sands” of your time.
Longfellow draws inspiration from the lives of great individuals, those who served to inspire others. When we depart, you complete your final effort. Will you leave behind echoes of a sublime life?
Be proactive in your pursuit, continue to strive, embrace both hard work and patience. Longfellow’s wisdom, “Learn to labor and to wait,” resonates a balance between active effort and patient perseverance. It guides us in the ever-evolving landscape of our realities.
As you embark on the journey in your career, your relationships, and your dreams arm yourself with purpose, planning, daily wins, and resilience to address your pebbles. Don’t count those few seconds…forget and move on.
When the flatline in your life inevitably occurs, will you be left there alone? Remember, we arrive into this world with family and friends holding us, we should strive to leave it…
With someone holding us too.
Alternate Door – Changing Doors | Changing lives
About the Author: I aim to create stories that allow self discovery and process. My articles are business-minded for young entrepreneurs, healthcare providers and my community.
My hope is to share my unique perspective and musings as I navigate today and tomorrow with purposeful living. From my eyes as an emergency room physician and entrepreneur.
Read a “Psalm of Life” and my 2 cents by following this link: https://medium.com/@thealternatedoor/a-psalm-of-life-b5e4330a8f30
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