A week ago I was approached by someone who has been struggling with a lot of things since he was young age. Now at age 40 he felt he did not have much hope for the future and that his life had essentially come to a dead end. He works at a job he does not love and comes home to an empty house, prepares a meal or orders a takeaway and sits in front of the tv until it is time for bed. Although he did not feel depressed and did enjoy one or two things in life, he still felt in essence that his life was at a stop and he was often asking himself 'is there nothing more?'.
My answer to him was that there is always something more. That question, that seeking to know more was the essence of his life and is the essence of every life. There is something inside us which wishes to grow and expand and know more and when there is no opportunity to do so, or one simply does not know how to know more then life can feel it is at a stop.
I asked him if there was anything he felt he always wanted to do or know more about but never felt it was something that would be worth pursuing or even possible (in his mind) of pursing. Initially he replied no but then a few moments later as he thought some more about it, he mentioned almost with a shyness that he had always wanted to know more about making wine. Although he had never been a keen gardener he was interested in knowing more about grapes and how many different types there must be to create wine. As he spoke I could see his previously dull eyes light up. I suggested he visit his local library and take some books out on wine making and grapes and just spend some time reading them on his evenings.
Yesterday I listened to him speak to me on the phone about having read over 10 books on wine and wine making. He told me his mind was bursting with ideas on making wine at home, as well as growing grapes in a greenhouse. He told me it renewed his joy at work as he was now speaking to more work colleagues about his new interest and subsequently engaging a lot more people than he had been before. He went on to tell me that for the first time in his life he felt he had 'things to do' and he even started to think of going abroad to visit wine farms.
I relate this story because a great many people are and have been through many struggles in life which have crippled them to an existence similar to the person above. It is difficult to restart your interest in life in such cases but all it takes is a simple spark to ignite you.
Let me relate to you another true story about a homeless man living in America who had lost all hope and was living an unhappy existence. One day he happened to see a piece of writing paper fly in the wind and land near to him. Taking that writing paper he began to write and that little spark ignited in him a great need to write some more. That man went on to complete a book and this writing process invigorated him that he was able to touch many other lives. He eventually built is life back together and published his book. One piece of writing paper was all it took. So I ask everyone struggling in life to find your spark and you will find your life.
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