Morrie Schwartz & 6 Revelations about the Hereafter

Morrie Schwartz was a sociology professor. His passion for books and life lessons are incredibly contagious. I came to know about him through a book entitled "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom. Apparently, Ted Koppel interviwed and broadcast a series of pieces about him on ABC Nightline. I never saw them.

Schwartz's final years led him to recognize and share his views on unnecessary tension most humans create inside. He voiced the most meaningful revelations he experienced during the end of a terminal illness. Simpilicity was one of the points he feels so many people miss. Based on Morrie's increased clarity as he neared the end of his life, I would invite you to consider the following:

1) Do you sense you lead a meaningless life? Morrie observed that many people would get busy doing things they felt were important, yet their heart wasn't in what they did.  He encouraged people to re-evaluate their choices, to stop chasing the wrong things.  His thought the way to create meaning in your life is to learn to devote yourself to loving people, to focus on things that enable you to feel good about yourself, and to make a positive difference in the lives around you.

2) What are your priorities? Morrie discerned the most vital life experience was to learn how to give, express and receive love.  He sensed many people don't think they deserve it. He sensed people generally feel that if they accept it, they'll go soft or, be judged less than human. As a man, he acknowledged the importance of learning to 'loosen up,' which implied ignoring what society told him was okay for men. He decided to figure out the power of compassion in his heart.

3) How do you learn to believe? Morrie discovered closing his eyes made all the difference. This reminded him that sometimes we tell ourselves we can't believe what we see. Yet, what really matters, at any given time, is how we choose to feel. He drew from the example of trust. We all want to believe we can trust people, even during times of uncertainty, even after individuals, institutions, or other forces around us seem to let us down. He showed us we can believe ourselves.

4) Does society distract you from what really matters? Morrie reflected how people don't regularly step back to self-examine or question whether choices are based on more than ego. While speaking with his former student, Mitch, Morrie explained why we all need teachers who encourage us to probe into ourselves about our logic and reasoning. To pinpoint your fears and secrets and to identify how they affect your current choices is the key. Mitch wrote to consider: death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness, and a meaningful life.

5) Are you prepared to die? Morrie felt this means to be mentally prepared any time, any place, regardless of age or state of health.  This implies becoming deeply involved in life while you're still alive. Draw your attention to questions such as, "Am I following my passions?," "Am I making the decisions that enable me to feel true to myself?," "Is there anything I've been postponing which urgently requires attention?," "Have I learned what it means to truly live, to give unconditionally of myself?," "Is ambition at the expense of what you sacrifice really worth it?"

6) Have you discovered the healing power inside? Morrie questioned the ability of human beings to make room for spiritual things and wondered why people could be so quick to belittle and disregard what they could not perceive or explain. Morrie didn't pretend to know the decisive meaning of spiritual development, but he asserted the Western world he knew had become too focused on things that don't satisfy at the core. He felt the intangibles, natural miracles, relationships and connections to things beyond us deserved more value and attention. He encouraged people to explore the basis for beliefs as a road to authenticity and inner peace.

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
~Henry Adams