Live While You Are Alive

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.

“I want to live while I’m alive…” - Jon Bon Jovi

The book “Toward The Final Crossroads”, is a biography of Howard and Edna Hong, who together translated volumes of book written by Soren Kierkegaard into English. They also founded the Kierkegaard library at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Just prior to World War II, Howard and Edna spent their honeymoon in Denmark, beginning their translations work while riding a tandem bike through Europe… Post WWII, they worked aiding war prisoners and refugees in Scandinavia, Austria and Germany.

On returning home to the United States, they were teachers at St. Olaf College and raised a family of eight children - both naturally born and adopted. One of the contributors to their biography described Edna as having great physical, mental and spiritual energy. At Edna’s death she wrote, “I feel weepy to think that she is no longer in the world, she was a vision of active goodness.”

Our own story is compiled in how we understand - and then make choices - at various crossroads in our life. In fact, every choice we make contributes to shaping and defining our life story.

Such is the power of choice. It can bring us closer to, or further from, our dreams. A good part of our waking day is spent in making choices. It begins as soon as the alarm goes off. Do we get out of bed or push the snooze button? Do we prepare for work or call in sick? At the job, do we work with excellence or goof off? Then all during the day we continue making choices as we decide what to do next. Do I tackle the most important task, or let myself drift into doing the mundane? Do I focus on moving forward, or settle for the least resistant path? Each decision leads us down the path of success - or causes us to remain sitting on a pile of mediocrity.

What kind of life are you choosing to live?

“Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are.” - Soren Kierkegaard

* Adapted from an email sent to me from my mom.