
Most of those who have succeeded in life can trace their success back to the essential education they obtained from parents, teachers and/ or friends.A typical portfolio is a balanced mix of some work, ongoing learning, recreation, travel and avocations, reconnecting with family and friends, and giving back. It is a new way of thinking and living in extended middle age. A life portfolio offers a compelling alternative to traditional retirement.When we limit our living, we deny the world the benefits of our talents. When we stop loving, we lose our sense of purpose and become self-centered. When we stop learning, we start to stagnate and die. We have three roles here on earth: to learn, to love, and to live.This is the heart and soul of simplicity. Then, we must proceed to create the life that reflects the unique people we truly are.

First, we must invest time andĮnergy to discover what stirs us as human beings, what makes our hearts sing, and what brings us joy.


A tree shedding its leaves in autumn resembled a man shedding his limbs in the final stages of leprosy. I’ve realized that the trees and I had something in common. So profound is their need to show off how generous and charitable they are, not only do they race to give us alms, but for that single day they almost love us. To the contrary, they specifically look for one, the more miserable the better. Once a year, people don't turn away from beggars. That is when even the hopeless penny-pinchers race to give alms, keen to compensate for all their sins, past and present.

The last day of Ramadan is by far the best time to make money. None of these people seem to realize that as keen as they are to avoid me, I am far keener to avoid them and their pitiful stares.įriday is the best day of the week to beg except when it is Ramadan, in which case the whole month is quite lucrative. Artisans chase me from their storefronts to ward off the bad luck that follows me everywhere, and pregnant women turn their faces away whenever they set eyes on me, fearing that their babies will be born defec-tive. Mothers point me out on the streets to scare their misbehaving little ones, and children throw stones at me. Neither the dead nor the living want me among them. Believe it or not, they call this purgatory on earth “holy-suffering”.
