I often sit alone at night, when the day has come to a close and ponder my existence. I inquire as to why I am here, out of thousands of sperm cells, this human body and mind came into being. I guess one could say that we are all born winners in this way. Before our birth, we had to defy the odds and beat the competition for life to come out on top. Out of all those sperm cells who had failed, me, you and anyone alive now to read this paper are survivors. Congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the back!

As we develop into human beings within the womb of our mothers’ we must face a many other challenges. Most of this responsibility for survival falls on the mother’s shoulders as she is in complete control of the world we live in. As we are developing, our mothers womb is the only world we have ever known. It is warm, safe and comfortable as it provides us with nutrient rich blood and oxygen. In this stage we are quite literally one with our mother, connected through blood. The stresses she feels, the hurt she goes through, we experience it all along with her. There is no escaping this life line until birth.

Then comes the time when we out grow the comfortable space of our mothers womb and are cast into the harsh, unforgiving, reality of life. For some, lessons of the unforgiving nature of life will come more quickly than others, but rest assured, we all will learn them.

We start out in this world so vulnerable, unable to take care of ourselves for anything. We are given time to discover our new bodies and try to understand how to move about throughout this life. We are given time to explore ideas, act out fantasies, climb trees too high and then get stuck. We are given the time for our imagination to soar, for our minds eye to envision a world beyond this world. This is what makes childhood so special because it is a time from which we are connected to our feelings, connected to our creativity with fresh eyes and ears to learn all we can about the world around us.

We continue like this for some years depending on the child, as some kids grow up faster than others due to the circumstances of their lives. Some unfortunately realize that life isn't all sunshine and roses all too soon and drop their care free attitude for one of a more cynical perspective. Some still never really seem to grow up, they are the lucky ones who maintain a child like spirit throughout their life. They are the ones who have found a way to keep the magic alive to enrich their spirit with awe and wonderment.

As we get older, we are handed more responsibilities. We are expected to fend for ourselves, contribute to society and work hard to be rewarded. We are encouraged to plan for a future, deal with the struggles of adult hood presently, so when we become old and useless to the world around us, we can be left alone and die in peace. We are taught to put money above everything else. Money is now our religion.

We spend so much time concerned with what happens between birth and death, in what we would call a “life”. We spend this life working ourselves to the bone, and I wonder if we are really free. It must come as a huge surprise when our life comes to an end. Imagine yourself on the verge of death. Imagine as you lay in bed, with all your loved ones around you coming to say goodbye. Your life is ending, time is slowing down as you try to live as presently as you can. You absorb these last moments of life, trying to be here as long as possible. Your life is coming to a close, and everyone around is still busy as usual. The world doesn't end just because you are dying, life goes on. You fade away into the unknown, soon to become a distant memory.

If you are so lucky to have a slow death and chance to say goodbye, what would be going through your mind? Would you wonder what was to come next? Would you regret all the time spent working for material success? Would you wish that you could have been there for your family more; showed them love instead of trying to put money in the bank? Would you finally realize at the last moment of life that in the end, you are alone, in the end you die on your own?

In my opinion, without the development of spirit throughout ones life, and no thought of what happens after death, a person can become confused and lost at the moment of annihilation. Material world and material things are fleeting. They are only there for a short time before they too are destroyed. This world can be ones way to freedom, or it can be the chains which hold us down for good. If I told you it was all a dream, that it was just a fantasy, would you believe me? Could you see for yourself how the pursuit of material gain is a trick to keep you preoccupied? Some of you will read this and not understand what is written, and others will read this and experience first hand the words which are written down. If one really wants to “invest” in a future, then invest in the development of spirit. Don't forget that we are more than this body, because everyone dies, I die, you die. Don’t take death lightly, it is the most important knowledge to understand, it is our eternity and our reality.

Enjoy this lifetime; enjoy the gifts we receive, but don't hold on too tightly. Everything is on a journey-- everything must go.