‘World’s Poorest President’ Shares 6 Captivating Facts About Life That Will Make You Question Everything

by Arjun Walia

“To succeed in your professional life isn’t that hard, but to succeed in your personal life is a lot harder. To really be a human is a lot harder. We forget about that.”

These are the words of Yann Arthus-Bertrand, director of the film Human, from which the clip below was taken. The gentleman in the clip is Jose Mujica. Dubbed ‘the world’s poorest president,’ he recently retired after a five year run as the president of Uruguay. In the 60’s and 70’s, he was a Tupamaros freedom fighter, and was subsequently detained and put in solitary confinement for 13 years. After holding several positions within the Uruguayan government, he eventually became the president of his country, serving from 2010 to 2015. Over the course of his life he has endured the unimaginable, and he offers us today some wisdom borne of his incredible experiences.

“I dedicated myself to the struggle for change, to improve life in my society. And now, I am the president.” 

Below the video you will find 6 facts about life and the current human experience that will definitely have you questioning your role in this world.

Your Time Here Is Limited – What Are You Going To Do With Your Life?

“And tomorrow, like everyone, I’ll just be a can of worms, and disappear.” 

As Gandalf the Grey from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings once said, “all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” Life is indeed short, and our time here is limited, so ask yourself, what do you want to do with the time that has been given to you?

Being born today probably means you’re going to spend most of your childhood in school, most of your adolescence in more school, and then most of your adulthood at work. Unfortunately, even after expending all this effort and sacrificing all this time, many of us can barely afford a roof over our heads and healthy food on the table. We are, for lack of a better term, ‘slaves to the system.’ What is truly depressing about this cycle is that it is entirely unnecessary. Nothing about our existence inherently require us to live in this way. And while we should of course be grateful for the opportunities we have in life and for being able to afford basic necessities — a luxury many people do not enjoy – we should nevertheless continue striving for more — more freedom, more choice, more autonomy.

Personally, I believe you can create your own life, or at least create joy in yourself regardless of your circumstances. I have been placed in multiple situations that I did not want to be in, but I chose to accept them and look at them as challenges and opportunities for growth. In the meantime, I still engaged myself in my passions as much as I could. While we cannot always choose our circumstances, we can always choose our attitude about them.

Do what ignites your soul as much as possible — this is my philosophy. If you don’t know what your passion is, start paying closer attention to the way things make you feel. When you find yourself excited about something, take note of it, and begin to think of ways to incorporate it into your daily life. There is always a step you can take, no matter how small you perceive it to be.

If you have an intention in your heart, whether it is to make the world a better place or to help other people, that intention alone can be the starting point of something great, provided you take the necessary action steps to get there.

So I ask you again, what ignites your heart? What would you like to spend your time doing? What would you like to work towards? Doing what you love makes you feel good, and we need more people on this planet who feel happy and fulfilled within themselves, radiating that positivity outwards.

I think the biggest takeaway from this is to be grateful for your life, and take full advantage of this precious gift while you can.

Changing The World Isn’t Easy

“I dedicated myself to the struggle for change . . . I had many setbacks, many injuries, some years in prison, Anyway… The routine for anyone setting out to change the world. Miraculously, I’m still here. And above alI, I love life.” 

If you are on this site and reading this article, there’s a good chance you have within you the desire to change the world. I receive emails all the time from people who want to have a positive impact, but they just don’t seem to know where to begin. In many cases, they don’t feel like they are even capable of having any significant impact on the world.

This is one thing that I have struggled with and still do; I often feel like my actions do not matter. I’ve learned, however, that the change you effect in this world cannot be measured in dollars and cents or by Facebook likes and followers. It is not quantifiable in that way. Your impact is measured by how you treat others in your everyday life. If you can operate from a place of inner peace, if you can be kind to others, and if you can maintain a desire to help people, you will be well on your way to making significant planetary change.

It’s not an easy process. Your will is going to be tested and your buttons are going to be pushed. Most people who wish to spend their lives changing the world often experience hardships. These hardships will make you who you are, these hardships are lessons. There is more than one way to change the world, and if your heart is calling you to a specific area, you must not be afraid to follow it. You should, however, be aware that it will not be easy, but also that nothing worthwhile ever is. Following your heart means nourishing your soul.

[More…]

Philosophers stone – selected views from the boat http://philosophers-stone.co.uk