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Khushwant Singh: Smile On His Lips." I Don't Fear Death. What I Dread Is The Day I Go Blind or Am Incapacitated

Written by Khushwant Singh, one of India's highly respected journalist, writer who passed away few months ago at the age of 99 !!!

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sarvarhasan
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49 views

Khushwant Singh: Smile On His Lips." I Don't Fear Death. What I Dread Is The Day I Go Blind or Am Incapacitated

Written by Khushwant Singh, one of India's highly respected journalist, writer who passed away few months ago at the age of 99 !!!

Uploaded by

sarvarhasan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How To Live [Shared by a friend]

Written by Khushwant Singh, one of India's highly respected journalist, writer who passed
away few months ago at the age of 99
I'!e often thought about what it is that ma"es people happy##what one has to do in order to
achie!e happiness$
First and foremost is good health$ If you do not enjoy good health,you can ne!er be happy$
%ny ailment, howe!er tri!ial, will deduct something from your happiness$
Second, a healthy bank balance$ It need not run into millions, but it should be enough to
pro!ide for comforts, and there should be something to spare for recreation## eating out,tra!el
and holidays in the hills or by the sea$ Shortage of money can be demoralising$ &i!ing on
credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes$
Third, your own home$ 'ented places can ne!er gi!e you the comfort or security of a home
that is yours for "eeps$ If it has garden space,all the better$ (lant your own trees and flowers,
see them grow and blossom, and culti!ate a sense of "inship with them$
Fourth, an understanding companion, be it your spouse or a friend$ If you ha!e too many
misunderstandings, it robs you of your peace of mind$ It is better to be di!orced than to be
)uarrelling all the time$
Fifth, stop envying those who ha!e done better than you in life#risen higher, made more
money, or earned more fame$ *n!y can be corroding+ a!oid comparing yourself with others$
Sixth, do not allow people to descend on you for gup-shup$ ,y the time you get rid of
them, you will feel e-hausted and poisoned by their gossip#mongering$
Seventh, cultivate a hobby or two that will fulfill you##gardening,reading, writing, painting,
playing or listening to music$ .oing to clubs or parties to get free drin"s, or to meet
celebrities, is a criminal waste of time$ It's important to concentrate on something that "eeps
you occupied meaningfully$
Eighth, e!ery morning and e!ening de!ote /0 minutes to introspection$ In the mornings, /1
minutes should be spent in "eeping the mind absolutely still, and fi!e listing the things you
ha!e to do that day$ In the e!enings, fi!e minutes should be set aside to "eep the mind still
and /1 to go o!er the tas"s you had intended to do$
inth, ha!e trust in H!" and thin" of 2im whene!er your mind starts wandering off # this
will gi!e you sense of li!ing and appreciating life$
Tenth, don#t lose your temper$ 3ry not to be short#tempered, or !engeful$ *!en when a
friend has been rude, just mo!e on$ %bo!e all, when the time comes to go, one should go li"e
a man without any regret or grie!ance against anyone$ I)bal said it beautifully in a couplet in
(ersian4 "You ask me about the signs of a man of faith? When death comes to him, he has a
smile on his lips." I don't fear death$ What I dread is the day I go blind or am incapacitated
because of old age##that's what I fear##I'd rather die than li!e in that condition$ I'm a burden
enough on my daughter 5ala and don't want to be an e-tra burden on her$ %ll that I hope for
is that when death comes to me, it comes swiftly, without much pain, li"e fading away in
sound$ $ 3ill then I'll "eep wor"ing and li!ing each day as it comes$

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