THE DEATH CERTIFICATE
After serving actively for over 30 years, a high-ranking military officer retired from service. He was already a state pensioner and moved to live in a wonderful new apartment in a private condominium.
He considered himself superior to others and never spoke to anyone. Even while walking through the park every evening, he ignored his neighbors, looking at them with arrogance.
One day, somehow, an elderly person sitting next to him struck up a conversation, and they continued meeting regularly. Each conversation was mainly a monologue, with the General insisting on his favorite topic:
"No one can imagine the great role and high position I held before retiring. I ended up in this community due to unforeseen circumstances..."
And the other elderly man would listen to him silently.
After many days, when the retired General became curious about others, the silent listener finally spoke:
After retirement, we are all like used lamps that have burned out. It doesn’t matter what voltage you operated on or how much light or brilliance you gave.
I’ve been living in this community for the past five years, and I’ve never told anyone that I was the Private Secretary to the President of the Republic. Look to your right: there is a man who retired as the General Manager of a major company. Over there is another man who, like you, was a General—though not in as high a position. That other man was a military attaché at the U.S. embassy.
That woman, sitting on the bench in a spotless white dress, was a university professor before retiring. She hasn’t told anyone, not even me, but I know it.
All the lamps—used and spent—are now the same, regardless of their wattage: 10, 40, 60, or 100 watts. It doesn’t matter anymore.
It also doesn’t matter what kind of bulb you were before ending up here: LED, CFL, halogen, incandescent, fluorescent, or decorative.
And that, my friend, applies to you as well. The day you understand this, you will find peace and serenity—even in this housing condominium."
Remember, both the rising sun and the setting sun are beautiful and admirable, but in reality, the rising sun holds greater significance and is even revered, while the setting sun does not receive the same veneration."
It is better to understand this sooner rather than later.
Dear friend, your current position, title, or power is not permanent. Holding on too tightly to these things only complicates life when you eventually lose them.
Remember, when the game is over, both the king and the pawn go back into the same box. Therefore, enjoy your achievements and everything you’ve acquired TODAY, so you can have a wonderful time on the journey ahead and be at PEACE with yourself.
At the end of the day, all those titles, certificates, appointments, or recognitions are nothing more than pieces of paper that will ultimately be replaced by just one certificate: The Death Certificate.
Friends—retirees, pensioners, or the disabled—let us LIVE life intensely, be happy with what we have, stay active with meaningful actions, and support each other while we are alive.
Whenever possible, put a smile on someone’s face and share a kind word with a friend; it doesn’t cost much.
Let us live with enthusiasm and optimism, with calmness and vigilance. With love, good humor, charity, humility, temperance, honesty, and prudence.
Let us BE HUMBLE and live with fullness and integrity.
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