34 Days of Happiness – Day 19, Pablo Neruda

The holidays are often a very stressful period for people so for the next 34 days (Thanksgiving through Christmas) we’re going to do a post a day, something happy and uplifting each day, perhaps an image, a poem, a quote, a moment of happiness or some bit of wisdom all in an effort to boost everyone’s happiness a little bit.  You can do your part by paying it forward, send these little bits of happiness on to others and ask that they do the same and as always, have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

Today another piece of poetry on happiness, a piece by Pablo Neruda that I really love.  One of the things that brings me happiness is good poetry and Pablo Neruda is a master, he paints amazing images with his words, enjoy.

Die Slowly – Pablo Neruda

He who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day,
who never changes pace,
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly.

He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
dotting ones i’s rather than a bundle of emotions, the kind that make your eyes glimmer,
that turn a yawn into a smile,
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings,
dies slowly.

He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy,
who is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives,
die slowly.

He who does not travel, who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself,
she who does not find grace in herself,
dies slowly.

He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his own bad luck, about the rain that never stops,
dies slowly.

He or she who abandons a project before starting it, who fails to ask questions on subjects he doesn’t know, he or she who doesn’t reply when they are asked something they do know,
dies slowly.

Let’s try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing.

Only a burning patience will lead
to the attainment of a splendid happiness.