Life: Brief Candle or Splendid Torch?

In my darker days I often think about Shakespeare’s “Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow’ soliloquy from Macbeth.   

You know, the one that goes:

‘Out, out, brief candle!   

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, 

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, 

And then is heard no more’ 

 On one level, it sounds quite depressing, but on another, I find it very comforting because it makes me think BIG PICTURE and reminds me not to ‘sweat the small stuff and it’s all small stuff’

(Thank you Richard Carlson who wrote that book).  

In the grand scheme of things, lots of our worries are transitory and ‘small beer’ as Shakespeare would say. 

But now, I’ve found a brilliant counterpoint to the ‘brief candle’ analogy, and it’s from George Bernard Shaw. 

In this poem, ‘A Splendid Torch’ he writes: 

Life is no ‘brief candle’ for me.  It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.’ 

Isn’t that brilliant?  If you get a chance, read the entire poem which is about living a life of purpose and service to the community. 

And just to underline George Bernard Shaw’s perspective, I’m going to add one from the late Andre Leon Talley, larger than life editor-at-large of Vogue who said:  

“I scorched the earth with my talent and let my light shine” 

Blooming love that too. 

Questions:

•  If you lived your live through the perspective of it being a ‘brief candle’ what would it be like?

•  If you lived your life as a ‘splendid torch’ you want to burn as bright as possible before handing it to future generations, what would it be like?

• If you ‘scorched the earth with your talent and let your light shine’ what would that be like?

In the words of Rhianna - shine bright like a diamond. 

And my words - Be Fearlessly YOU! 

Take care

Tracy