Religion

I think it's simply impossible to enjoy anything, be it a sunrise or a wonderful job, if your heart is not at peace. I have seen people try many things to achieve this peace; to bring certain anxieties low; homeostasis, if you will. These include drugs, indulgence in activities (like listening to music), and so on. But these are all short term. For the effect of "homeostasis" to last, continuous supply of such stimuli is needed. Even then, sometimes life's stressors demand more than outside stimuli to reach base threshold. Happiness comes from within. I feel once you purify your heart and soul by making your peace with God, things are OK from there. So for me, religion works. It helps me enjoy life with all that it has to offer, by giving me the peace required to relish its beauty.

Treasure

Working through the pile of sand
Kneeling on the beach
Constructing a sand castle
Suddenly I found
Looking at my hand
It looked like an old antique
Until I zoomed closely
Below the surface of dust and grime
It was a treasure locked in inside
A bottle quite rare for centuries left there
Encapsulated in a bottle was a fading note crumpled
Legible to read
Not very sure why it found me or I found it
The excitement of a hidden treasure trapped in the ground
of a perfect level
Was a note not sure to whom or why?
It was a treasure money could never buy
As I began to unravel it my mind was anxious to know why
The encapsulated bottle would be mine
The letter was that of poetry
With the author's name exposed
With a picture and the date enclosed
You have found hidden treasure
Because you dug deep enough to uncover
The long lost message encapsulated
The bottle is about tarnished
But inside this note there is a message to be salvaged
"Cherish every special moment
Lavish your kindness on the ones who are broken other words heart-wrenched
Don't look down on those who feel hopeless or impoverished
Live your life as though you will vanish
So that when it is time to go you won't leave behind unfinished business
Remember life is a journey and it is not good to live in a hurry
Rather savour every meal with gratitude
Render help but don't intrude
Compliment success and learn from clues
Meditate and leave rest
Win some, share some
Lose some, learn some
Experience will teach you the best lessons
Likewise impact the world
Don't let up because of pressure
Or succumb to failure
Success is an act of trial and error
Learn to leave something more than pictures behind for your children
Not a debt load but a stock hold
Not a home loan but a home owned
Not a dead end but a open end possibilities
This note not sure to whom or why?
Encapsulated in a bottle was dug deep beside the sea of life
With the author's name exposed
With a picture and the date enclosed
You have found hidden treasure
Now it is time for you to measure and decide what to leave behind at the end of your journey of life

~Chidimma Mba