Preface: The Good Life?
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying. Andy Dufresne - The Shawshank Redemption
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
Birth is, in essence, a terminal illness—a voyage with a definite end. From the moment we enter this world, we are set on a journey that inevitably concludes in death. But within this certainty lies our most significant opportunity: the chance to choose how we live. As the iconic line from The Shawshank Redemption urges us, "Get busy living or get busy dying." These words remind us that our daily actions, thoughts, and attitudes determine the quality of the time we have.
To create a good life, we must embrace living with intention, vitality, and purpose. Community, kindness, and service are at the heart of what gives our lives meaning. They ripple outward like an infection, spreading positivity and warmth from one person to another. A simple smile can cross oceans and cultures, travelling the world in ways we cannot measure. When we choose to connect, serve, and uplift others, we plant seeds of joy and meaning that bloom in the hearts of those we touch.
Gratitude, too, is a cornerstone of a life well-lived. Practising gratitude in all we do is to remind ourselves of the beauty and abundance around us, even amidst hardship. I speak of this from experience. I am a widower twice, and it took the grace and love of two amazingly kind women to teach me that I was blessed to share time and space with them. There is no room for regret or sadness in my heart—only gratitude for the joy they brought to my life and for the lessons they left behind. I have learned to cherish each moment, knowing that love shared is never lost, but carried forward in everything we do.
The philosophy of amor fati—to love one's fate—is rooted in Friedrich Nietzsche’s writings. It guides us to accept and even cherish life's harshest elements, transforming suffering into a part of the tapestry of a meaningful existence. For Nietzsche, this was not mere resignation but a profound affirmation of life in all its complexity. By embracing everything that happens, both joy and hardship, we transcend bitterness and regret, finding strength in our acceptance and the will to live fully.
Albert Camus’s take on the myth of Sisyphus comes to mind. Camus suggests that we imagine Sisyphus—the eternal labourer doomed to push a boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down—as happy. Why? Because he finds meaning in the struggle itself. To embrace life's absurdity and acknowledge its challenges without despair is to triumph over it. In this defiant acceptance of life’s hardships, we genuinely get busy living.
Conversely, when we choose to worry, blame, or create monsters in the future of our own making, we begin the process of dying long before our physical end. Fear and negativity drain the vitality from our days and cloud the possibilities of joy. When we retreat into bitterness or anxiety, we squander the precious gift of our time on this earth.
We can live a life of connection, gratitude, and resilience or let fear and worry pull us into darkness. Every day offers the opportunity to begin again, smile, serve, and choose hope. By getting busy living, we honour our existence and the interconnectedness of all life.
The Willowsway gives your child the tools to navigate life and decide for themselves what a good life looks like. Fostering autonomy, curiosity, and resilience empowers children to embrace challenges and find meaning in their unique journeys. Let us push our boulders with joy. Let us love our fate, smile at the world, and infect it with kindness. Let us embrace the lessons and love of those we have been fortunate to share our journey with, knowing that the best tribute we can offer is to live a good life.