Make the most of life whatever it has in store for you
on William Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth and poem Life’s Brief Candle written in the 17th century, life was described as short, unpredictable and meaningless following the death of Lady Macbeth, who committed suicide.
Feeling frustrated, the persona thought that life was an absolute joke as it offered nothing good, as in the line “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.
The classics may have literally perceived life negatively, but there is room for interpretation as we read between the lines and discover the figurative meaning. Life could be a nightmare for the unwise, the ungrateful and the unkind, but it could be a sweet dream to the smart and kind-hearted ones.
As the author of The Light in the Heart, Roy T. Bennett says: “Learn to light a candle in the darkest moment of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see. It is what gives life its deepest significance.”
Artistically and aesthetically speaking, life is made of a set of colours that signifies and beautifies our individual bittersweet journey.
On the day we were born, we were as pure and perfect as white cloth. As we grow older, the cloth would be painted with myriad colours as the adventure begins, unfolding our stories of life.
A healthy life is a happy one. Psychologically, yellow symbolises warmth, cheerfulness and energy. Sunrises help us start our day with a happy feeling and there is nothing better than something that lifts our mood in the morning.
Green, the colour of nature, gives us peace and inspiration. When we need a break from our frazzled lives, we would immerse ourselves in nature for escapism.
In addition, a red-letter day gives us an euphoric feeling as we celebrate love and successes, including graduation, marriages, birthdays and anniversaries.
However, life may not always be a bed of roses. There will be days when we are feeling blue when things happen
out of the blue. Sickness, failure, heartbreak and conflicts may lead to regret, despair and depression.
For pessimists, life’s challenging journey would finally lead to a dead end, but those believing in the silver lining would look forward to seeing the colourful rainbow after the rain.
The black-and-white yin and yang need each other to make a complete circle. Likewise, life and death are inseparable and inevitable. People die every
single day, leaving us feeling shocked, sad and surreal.
When the time comes for our loved ones to leave us, we may mourn and reminisce but, most importantly, we need to self-reflect and move on. In conjunction with Global Wellness Day, let us choose to live well every single day. Carpe diem!