Summary

In 2023, the author endured multiple personal losses, including the passing of family members and pets, leading to a profound life lesson about the importance of making decisions that enhance life and help others succeed.

Abstract

The year 2023 marked a period of deep personal loss for the author, with the passing of his grandmother-in-law, mother, and two beloved cats. Amidst the pain and reflection, the author distills an essential life lesson: every decision should aim to maximize life, not just for oneself but for others too. The loss of his loved ones served as a poignant reminder to cherish the present and make choices that allow for happiness and fulfillment, even when faced with the inevitability of entropy and the pain of farewells. The author emphasizes the joy of giving his rescue cat, Alice, a loving home in her final months, despite knowing the sorrow that would follow. The experiences have led the author to advocate for decision-making that fosters growth, opportunity, and mutual success, encouraging readers to embrace life's opportunities and to help others win.

Opinions

The author believes in finding optimism and growth even in the darkest times.
The author suggests that the pain of loss can lead to valuable insights about life.
The author values the role of family and the impact of a loving home on the quality of life.
The author emphasizes the importance of living for today and not postponing joy and opportunities.
The author considers the act of helping others succeed as a fundamental aspect of living a fulfilling life.
The author reflects on the concept of entropy and acknowledges its role in reminding us of life's fragility.
The author encourages readers to make decisions with a forward-looking perspective, focusing on potential opportunities rather than past regrets.

1 Life Lesson From Saying Goodbye To Loved Ones This Year

It’s one takeaway you should take from the losses I’ve endured

2023 has been the most painful year I’ve endured yet.

I try to be the optimist and find the good in everything. I look for lessons I can share to help you find growth and opportunity in the decisions you make.

2023 has challenged my optimism in a way I’ve never experienced. Pain can push you into some dark places where you narrative punishes you for hurt you’re suffering.

Walking and reflecting has brought me some clarity. It gives me a point I can share from the loss and pain I can talk positively about too.

So today I want to share an important lesson I’ve learnt from 2023 that you might find helpful.

It comes from loss.

Sad Goodbye’s

In 2023, we said goodbye to my Nan, my Mum, and two adorable cats.

My Nan — my wife’s, but I think of her as mine — was 91 when she passed. She had eight children, more grandchildren than I can count, and even more great-grandchildren. What a life. Her family descendants paint quite the family tree!

Financially, things were very difficult for my nan, but she gave her kids everything. Stubborn and strong, but full of love, we will all miss her.

My Mum’s passing came a month after a successful brain tumour operation. Sepsis intervened, and for two more weeks, we watched and waited for the end to come. It was horrible for her, and tough for us too. I still can’t get my head around the fact she’s gone.

A car struck Nacho, we think. He found a quiet field across the road from our home and died in a spot surrounded by leafy pines. It was the day before his second birthday.

Although he was a cat, he was our baby.

We all adored him, and his death hit us all so hard. Even now, six months on it still hurts so much. I talked at the time about how we underestimate the role of entropy in our lives. Nacho’s death is a stark reminder of how severe it can be.

Alice was a rescue cat.

We found her after Nacho had passed at a rescue centre. She had lived at the centre for two years, recovering from a time spent living rough as a stray. She was old, with most estimating her age to be 17.

We couldn’t leave her at the centre.

Her emerald-coloured eyes shone with love. She deserved some family love — so we brought her into our home. She had a delightful six months, sleeping in the sun and chasing flies around the garden. Sadly, a growth above her eye and possible kidney failure brought her life to an end.

She died yesterday.

Life is About Decisions

Every decision you make should foster one goal.

To maximise life.

We all get caught up in the details of living, that sometimes we forget what’s important. And then it’s too late. The passing of loved ones shouldn’t be a reminder to see the opportunity of living. Nacho — and my mum’s passing was a brutal wakeup to the importance of living for today.

I like to think that’s the lesson we took forward with Alice.

We had an opportunity to let her see the happiness life has to offer. We knew the pain we would feel at her passing. But, we also knew her joy from roaming our garden and having a warm home to sleep in every night would give us more joy than the sorrow of her eventual passing.

From Nan, I took this…

Life is for living. It is for winning — and this is extremely important — by helping others win. Nan didn’t have much, but she had her love for her children which spread beyond them. She helped her kids win.

So, as you pause and reflect this Christmas, don’t get bogged down in gloom at what has been or might have been. Look forward with vigour and exploit the opportunity life gives you.

Don’t be afraid to make decisions that help others win. It is where the good stuff lives.

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