A Meaningful Anniversary

I’d like to tell you a short story which created a mixed feeling of joy and sadness in me.

Last Thursday, I was coming back home after a beautiful week in the Southern Italian Alps, climbing a few peaks among which the Mont Viso, the highest peak of the area.

Stepping out of the car, I noticed on the terrace my wife Françoise waiting for me dressed as she was going out for a party, and the table set for dinner with two glasses of champagne just waiting to be filled.

To the question “What’s going on?” she could easily read on my face, she said “We are celebrating an anniversary!”

Not finding any current anniversary in my memory, I said: “Which anniversary?”

With a malicious smile and also a grave look in her eyes, she said: “Do you remember what you said 17 years ago, on the 11^th of September 2001? You said that you were going to change your life by putting some order into it!”

“Yes, of course I remember!” I answered.

“Well,” she continued, “when you sent me the picture of you and your guide on the top of Mount Viso two days ago, I realized that the date was the 11^th of September, and I thought about your promise of 2001 and what a great symbol of your success that picture was, so I decided to celebrate it!”

It was true that several things had seriously improved in my life, even though a big margin for further improvements remained…I didn’t smoke nor was a coffee junkie anymore, my permanent stress and anger were gone, I had great relationships with my family, my friends and my business partners, my physical and mental health were infinitely better than 17 years ago, I had a meaningful spiritual life, and I was fully living my life with my beautiful wife rather than just “earning” it…

Why did I have to wait for the 9/11 tragedy to start moving my life in the right direction? I just have a hunch: up to that moment, I was living the conventional, ego driven life of most human beings conditioned by their parents, their professors and their social environment.

For people who live like that for a long time, only a powerful psychological shock is able to break the cement that is imprisoning them.

For me, that shock came from the horror of the 9/11 tragedy, with the question “What can I do to impede this kind of event forever?” The question was so vivid in my mind that the answer came literally straight away: “Let’s put some order in my own life first, and let’s see what happens next.”

And that’s what I did. I had a burning desire to do it, therefore it was effortless in spite of all the obstacles that came as a result of that decision.

Did my personal process stop the terrorism on the planet? Not yet.

But here is what I know for sure: I am not contributing anymore to the hatred against terrorism – which would only amplify the problem – and I am constantly increasing my gratitude towards the souls that sacrificed themselves in these barbarian acts of violence.

Only me – and you if you choose to – have the power to give a meaning to these sacrifices and to make sure they were not made in vain.

Taking the unwavering commitment to become a better person for ourselves and for the world is the strict minimum we can do to honor these brave souls.

By the way, there is a great opportunity to do it, and this is to register for the 6 months MKMMA online training.

Here is the link to follow: bit.ly/MKMMAisLife

Just do it!