Yes .....yes...yes...yes...

..... and no....

Often it seems that we just love to take a nice little gem like this and see is we can stretch it all out of shape and context.

I love little summations like this but I also realize they have to be handled carefully.

Right now I am going through a personal time where the inflections and intents of words are a very important factor in how things will turn out.     I have noticed many many posts on various threads where the words just don't come across as intended.

I do appreciate and use summations as a guide and reminder and hopefully a few more useful paths between neurons will be created and stimulated as well.

Hugs

Rita

Joyful Brainiac,

it reminds me of THIS.

And "Always cut the cards"

To learn as if you will live forever is great. To live as if I'm going to die tomorrow could lead to poor stewardship - why care for anything if I'm going to be gone tomorrow anyway and could also lead to complete self-centredness, since I'm only going to be concerned with how much I can get out of the next day for myself. "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die."

I think the first part of the thought can be summed up in a famous ad slogan, Just do it.

Second part reminds us we are always students.  Always learners, always disciples.

Generally, if I'm concious at 4 a.m. my thought process runs along the lines of:  That last cup of coffee may have been a bad idea.

I held a moment in my hand,

brilliant as a star,

fragile as a flower,

a tiny sliver of one hour.

I dripped it carelessly,

Ah! I didn't know,

I held opportunity.

     Hazel Lee

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite.

Or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a string of pearls or a pair of pants or a wig with curls or another chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

     Dr. Seuss

Carpe Diem!

... and bury your kids' future in the garbage of materialistic overindulgence.

foolish,  VERY foolish.

LL&P

Spock

Not sure what point you're making with the emphasis - are you suggesting that it's unbelievable that any of us would disagree with Ghandi?

So, to be clear, the authorship of the quote makes no difference to me - I believe that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was right about the second part but I also believe that Mohandas Karanchand Gandhi was (wait for it) WRONG about the first part.

RevDavis, while I understand that some may take the advice to live one's life as if one is going to die tomorrow as permission to behave like a selfish boor, there is a flip side to the advice that religions in particular would emphasize.

The idea is, that if one was to meet their maker tomorrow would one be comfortable with the encounter?  Have we lived up to our creator's expectations and our own potentials?

In the Christian faith that would include treating all that the Creator has created with love and good stewardship.

Personally I do not believe one can fulfill that simple expectation by being a selfish boor.

LB - knowing that the Calvinists amongst us will beg to differ

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

    John Muir (1838-1914)

...when nature calls thee to be gone,

What acceptable audit canst thou leave?

-William Shakespeare

Amen Sister!

I believe we - that is the global we - ultimately regret not doing the right thing for ouselves, our loved ones and others.  Each of us knows our potential and whether we are living up to it.  We know when our actions hurt another whether we openly acknowledge that or not.

If I view my life as if it might be gone tomorrow, then I strive to do all the best I can today.

LB - and today my best will be laundry and gardening

If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.

     Mercedes Lackey

I've got that quote up on my classroom wall, along with some others.  I like it because you DO have to think about it.    

I'm not as cynical as some;  I believe that most people, given a day to live, would choose to reach out to those they love,  seek forgiveness and reconciliation with others, and embrace the simple of joy of being to the fullest.  And eat lots and lots of chocolate.

And I'm not at all certain that people did stop looking for answers after the terror of 911 faded.  I think they just stopped looking for them in church.

Good morning, Happy Genius!

The sun is finally shining, even in Vancouver, eh?

What, you are only 800 books behind? I am thousands of books behind!

That's why I need to live forever: to catch up on my learning.

Good things come in threes, eh?

(I am a firm believer in the Holy Trinity :-)