Muere Lentamente by Martha Medeiros

Those who become the slave of habit, who follow the same routes every day, who never change pace, who do not risk and change the color of their clothes, who do not speak and do not experience, die slowly.

Those who shun passion, who prefer black on white, and dotting their “i’s” to a bundle of emotions, the kind that make your eyes glimmer, that turn a yawn into a smile, that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings, die slowly.

Those who do not turn things on their head, who are unhappy at work, who do not risk certainty for uncertainty, thus to follow a dream, those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives, die slowly.

Those who do not travel, who do not read, who do not listen to music, who do not find grace in themselves, die slowly.

Those who slowly destroy their own self-esteem, who do not allow themselves to be helped, who spend days on end complaining about their bad luck, about the rain that never stops, die slowly.

Those who abandon a project before starting it, who fail to ask questions about subjects they don’t know, those who don’t reply when they are asked something they do know, die slowly.

Let’s try and avoid death in small doses, reminding ourselves that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing. Only with ardent patience we reach a wonderful happiness.

Source of Muere lentamente (English translation): (ad) sarinmiso.blogspot.com
Author: Martha Medeiros, a Brazilian journalist and writer

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Martha’s original text is as follows

A morte Devagar

Morre lentamente quem não troca de idéias, não troca de discurso, evita as próprias contradições.

Morre lentamente quem vira escravo do hábito, repetindo todos os dias o mesmo trajeto e as mesmas compras no supermercado. Quem não troca de marca, não arrisca vestir uma cor nova, não dá papo para quem não conhece.

Morre lentamente quem faz da televisão o seu guru e seu parceiro diário. Muitos não podem comprar um livro ou uma entrada de cinema, mas muitos podem, e ainda assim alienam-se diante de um tubo de imagens que traz informação e entretenimento, mas que não deveria, mesmo com apenas 14 polegadas, ocupar tanto espaço em uma vida.

Morre lentamente quem evita uma paixão, quem prefere o preto no branco e os pingos nos is a um turbilhão de emoções indomáveis, justamente as que resgatam brilho nos olhos, sorrisos e soluços, coração aos tropeços, sentimentos.

Morre lentamente quem não vira a mesa quando está infeliz no trabalho, quem não arrisca o certo pelo incerto atrás de um sonho, quem não se permite, uma vez na vida, fugir dos conselhos sensatos.

Morre lentamente quem não viaja, quem não lê, quem não ouve música, quem não acha graça de si mesmo.

Morre lentamente quem destrói seu amor-próprio. Pode ser depressão, que é doença séria e requer ajuda profissional. Então fenece a cada dia quem não se deixa ajudar.

Morre lentamente quem não trabalha e quem não estuda, e na maioria das vezes isso não é opção e, sim, destino: então um governo omisso pode matar lentamente uma boa parcela da população.

Morre lentamente quem passa os dias queixando-se da má sorte ou da chuva incessante, desistindo de um projeto antes de iniciá-lo, não perguntando sobre um assunto que desconhece e não respondendo quando lhe indagam o que sabe.

Morre muita gente lentamente, e esta é a morte mais ingrata e traiçoeira, pois, quando ela se aproxima de verdade, aí já estamos muito destreinados para percorrer o pouco tempo restante.

Que amanhã, portanto, demore muito para ser o nosso dia. Já que não podemos evitar um final repentino, que ao menos evitemos a morte em suaves prestações, lembrando sempre que estar vivo exige um esforço bem maior do que simplesmente respirar.

Martha Medeiros
Quarta-feira, 1º de novembro de 2000
Jornal Zero Hora

When literally translated, it reads like this…

Death slowly

Slowly those who do not exchange ideas, do not exchange discourse, avoid their own contradictions.

Slowly die who becomes a slave of habit, repeating the same route and the same purchases in the supermarket every day. Those who do not change brands, do not risk wearing a new color, do not chat to those who do not know.

Slowly die who makes television his guru and his daily partner. Many can’t buy a book or a movie ticket, but many can, and yet alienate themselves in front of a tube of images that brings information and entertainment, but which should not, even at just 14 inches, take up so much space in one. life.

Slowly die who avoids a crush, who prefers the black on white and the drops in the is a whirlwind of untamed emotions, precisely those that bring back sparkle in the eyes, smiles and sobs, stumbling heart, feelings.

Slowly die who does not turn the tables when he is unhappy at work, who does not risk the uncertainty behind a dream, who does not allow himself, once in his life, to escape from wise advice.

Slowly die who does not travel, who does not read, who does not listen to music, who does not make fun of himself.

Die slowly who destroys your self-esteem. It can be depression, which is serious illness and requires professional help. Then it fades every day who does not let help.

Those who do not work and who do not study slowly die, and most of the time this is not an option but a destiny: so an omissive government can slowly kill a good portion of the population.

Those who spend their days complaining slowly about bad luck or incessant rain, slowly giving up a project before starting it, not asking about a subject they do not know and not answering when asked what they know.

Many people die slowly, and this is the most ungrateful and treacherous death, because by the time she gets really close, we are already too untrained to go through the little time left.

May tomorrow therefore take too long to be our day. Since we cannot avoid a sudden ending, let us at least avoid death in gentle installments, always remembering that being alive requires a far greater effort than simply breathing.

Martha Medeiros
Wednesday, November 1, 2000
Zero Hora Newspaper

Hi, I'm Thea Westra at Forward Steps (forwardstepsblog.com)

Since March 2003, I've been sharing practical, positive, thought provoking and inspiring self improvement content online. My aim is simple - to offer tips and resources that help us enhance our daily experience of life and to keep stepping forward. Perth, Western Australia is the place I call home and I'm the author of "Time For My Life: 365 Stepping Stones". You might also know me from the Forward Steps personal development blog and the daily series of "365 Forward Steps Notes", all designed to add wings to our unique life journeys.

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