A 24-Year-Old Is Dying Of Cancer, And He Has Something He Wants To Share With Us All
"Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn't"
By Sadho Ram — 01 Mar 2015, 06:36 PM
There are over 100 different known cancers that affect us. According to a 2012 report, it caused about 8.2 million deaths.
And as cancer claims more lives, stories of people dying of cancer abound. Some that present the heartbreaking reality of a cancer patient, and some that offers us valuable life lesson.
Mohammad Sani's battle with cancer as captured by his brother Ahmad Yusni, a Malaysian photojournalist.
Image via says.comOne such story comes from a 24-year-old, who took to Reddit on 28 February 2015 to share his life story. Posting under a username 'mylasttie', he shared a photo of a tie that he says it's the one that he will wear on his funeral a few months from now.
"It may not match my suit, but I think it’s perfect for the occasion."
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His cancer diagnosis came too late. It made him realise that the most important thing about death is to ensure that we leave this world a little better than it was before us. He laments about how his existence will not matter as he has lived a meaningless life.
"The cancer diagnosis came too late to give me at least a tenuous hope for a long life, but I realized that the most important thing about death is to ensure that you leave this world a little better than it was before you existed with your contributions. The way I’ve lived my life so far, my existence or more precisely the loss of it, will not matter because I have lived without doing anything impactful."
Pointing out how before there were so many things that occupied his mind, it all changed once he learned how much time he had left. So, in order to give some meaning to his own life, he writes, he decided to share what he has realised.
He says it's difficult for him to fully express his feelings about the importance of the simple realisations, but he hopes that people will listen to him, someone who has experienced how valuable our time on earth is.
"I'm not upset because I understand that the last days of my life have become meaningful. I only regret that I will not be able to see a lot of cool stuff that should happen soon like the creation of AI, or Elon Musk’s next awesome project. I also hope that the war in Syria and Ukraine will end soon."
Expressing his thoughts about life, he writes:
"We care so much about the health and integrity of our body that until death, we don’t notice that the body is nothing more than a box - a parcel for delivering our personality, thoughts, beliefs and intentions to this world. If there is nothing in this box that can change the world, then it doesn’t matter if it disappears. I believe that we all have potential, but it also takes a lot of courage to realize it."
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He says we can either float through a life created by circumstances, or we can fight for what we believe in and write the greatest story of our life. "I hope you will make the right choice."
"Leave a mark in this world. Have a meaningful life, whatever definition it has for you. Go towards it. The place we are leaving is a beautiful playground, where everything is possible. Yet, we are not here forever.
Our life is a short spark in this beautiful little planet that flies with incredible speed to the endless darkness of the unknown universe. So, enjoy your time here with passion. Make it interesting. Make it count!"
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"Don't waste your time on work that you don't enjoy"
"It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do."
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"It's stupid to be afraid of others' opinions"
"Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you‘re a legend."
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"Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn't"
"Take control of your life. Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate."
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"Appreciate the people around you"
"Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn't take them for granted."
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