By: Yoram Yahav

I have interesting news for you dear friends, all of you (and I mean all of you) are going to eventually grow old and die. Even the wisest, most creative inventor on earth is incapable of avoiding this inevitable fate. I apologize for being blunt about it but death is part of the life cycle which many religions and philosophies have discussed for the last thousand years.

So let me ask you loud and clear, are you happy? Can you genuinely answer this question in your head while reading this article? And have you ever made anyone deeply happy?

I haven’t seen it all but the little which has occurred around me, definitely helped me form and strengthen my worldview. My parents lost their relatives in Auschwitz and Treblinka, I lost friends around me at war, I was supposed to dine at “Windows on the World” restaurant on the top floor of the World Trade Center during 9/11, and I experienced how my close family dealt with a divorce which was not in my original life plan. Having gone through all these symbolic life events made me look at the time I have left here on earth from a different perspective. At night before falling asleep I say “thank you” and go through the whole day that has passed. My children and loved ones are no doubt my top priority. Those who don’t support my positive state of being, are gently removed from my daily life.

I know it sounds dramatic but ask yourself the above questions again and be as honest and blunt as you can with yourself. If for some reason you hate what you do at work, and/or see no future with your significant other, or if you are simply unhappy, what are you doing about it?! What is your “Photograph from the Future?” Are you going to continue to be miserable? Will you ask yourself on your death bed “was it worth it?” Did you make a difference in the world? Who did you help? Did you leave a positive dent behind? If any of these questions leave you scratching your head without truly having an answer, it is time to think of life in these terms.

The beauty of this newsletter lies in its diverse readers in terms of age and demographics. There are readers of all ages from around the globe and I assume that if you have read up to this point, you may be interested in hearing one more thought. I think the best definition of serendipity is “When Opportunity Meets Luck.” My dear friends (especially the younger ones), I hear you telling me that you need luck to succeed. I personally don’t subscribe to this notion but let’s assume that there is luck in abundance. In order for opportunity to arise, one needs to allow it to enter through the doors. Allowing means searching for what makes one happy and enthusiastic. Why don’t you take the first step and begin the path this minute!