Five People You Meet in Heaven

I am re-reading the book, "The Five Person You Meet in Heaven," by Mitch Albom. Mitch is also the author of the phenomenal number one bestseller "Tuesdays with Morrie."

The main character, Eddie, is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in the toil of his father before him, fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. Over the years, Eddie changed from optimistic youth to embittered old age. The war left him wounded. His days tumbled into one another, a mix of loneliness, regret and said dreams of what could have been.

On his 83th birthday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakens in the afterlife, a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. As Eddie desperately seeks redemption and the true meaning of his life, the answer, which comes from the most unlikely of sources, is as magical and inspirational as a glimpse of heaven itself.

The book of fiction was later adapted for a made-for-TV movie. I have watched that too and it is very moving and inspirational. You should be able to find the book as well as DVD from the local national libraries.

As we live through our lives seeking for the meaning and purpose of our existence in this world, may this story shed a glimpse of what your true calling and life purpose are. And how our lives are connected to others, bringing them impact, for the better or worse.

Hopefully we don't have to wait until we meet the fiver people in heaven to tell us that!

Be Your Own Best Judge

When we were little, our parents used to punish us if we did something wrong. It is the feeling of guilt that was instilled in us. However, we were too young then to comprehend the mistake that we committed, or to understand the consequences that we brought unto ourselves or the others. As a child, we depend on our parents or teachers to tell us what is right from wrong. It is always a black and white world.

In the grown up world, there are also black and white where crimes like stealing, violence, rape, killing is totally unacceptable. Likewise there are virtues like punctuality, keeping promises, filial piety, faithfulness, which are endorsed by the general public. However, there are also gray areas in our daily lives. The fundamental and golden rule will be "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." In simple words, we should treat people as we would like to be treated, at least with respect, consideration and appreciation.

Feedback that we received should neither be seen as negative or positive, they can be perceived as neutral information to reflect upon ourselves. No one will be judging you over your behaviour and the conduct with our fellow humans. You are the best judge for your own actions and the bearer of the consequences. It should be driven by our conscientious.

After all that were said and done, let's strive towards closing a situation for the better and not the worse. And be hopeful there will always be a way in achieving that!