One of the three last wishes of Alexander the Great was, he wanted people to know that we came empty handed into this world and empty handed we go out of this world.

Each of us wants a  perfect ending but I've learned, the hard way, that some poems do not rhyme; that some stories do not have a clear beginning, middle, nor end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment, making the best and enjoying it.

A lifetime is not forever, it's only temporary. So let's not wait for the second chance, but take the first one that comes along because sometimes, there are no second chances!  If it turns out to be a mistake, that is life! We never get a second chance at something that we did not take a first chance at. That's true failure.

I don't believe in luck, leaving things to chance and outside world. I believe in being master of our fate, taking action and creating our own path and destiny in life. Our life is ours to create. Someone may walk with us on our path of life but no one can walk for us.

Sooner or later we'll learn that in life, it is not what we've gathered but what we've scattered that matters. What matters at the end is how long we will be remembered, by whom and for what.

The following tale invites us to live a pure unselfish life, to count nothing as our own in the midst of abundance for we come to this world with nothing, we leave this world with nothing.

As the story goes, a man died and when he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand. God said: Alright son, it's time to go. Surprised, the man responded: Now? So soon? I had a lot of plans... I'm sorry but it's time to go, God insisted.

What do you have in that suitcase? The man asked. God answered: Your belongings. My belongings? You mean my things, my clothes, my money? God answered: Those things were not yours, they belonged to the earth.

Is it my memories? The man asked. God answered: Those never belonged to you, they belonged to time.

Is it my talents? God answered: Those were never yours, they belonged to the circumstances.

Is it my friends and family? God answered: I'm sorry they were never yours, they belonged to the path.

Is it my wife and son? God answered: They were never yours, the belonged to your heart.

Is it my body? God answered: That was never yours, it belonged to the dust.

Is it my soul? God answered: No, that is mine.

Full of fear, the man took the suitcase from god and opened it, just to find out the suitcase was empty. With tears coming down his cheek the man said: I never had anything???

God answered: That is correct, every moment you lived were only yours. Life is just a moment that belongs to you.

For these reasons, let us enjoy the time while we have it and don't let anything that we think we own stop us from doing so.

Don't forget to be happy, that is the only thing that matters. Materials things and everything else that we fought for stay here.

We can't take anything along...let's enjoy life now, it has an expiration date. Let us relish  every second we live.

By Tim Pedrosa