Did you ever wonder where the expression, “ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END” came from? I did, and I decided to check it out. It turns out that the saying is approximately 635 years old. Here is the original version:
“There is an end to everything, to good things as well.”
This proverb dates back to about 1374… Geoffrey Chaucer
Chaucer, the author of the famed ‘Canterbury tales’, drew upon his relationships with real people to create his many literary characters. They say that art imitates life and life imitates art… no one knew that better than Chaucer. The innkeepers, lawyers, students, pilgrims and other players in his stories were based on people known to him. The professions of soldier, messenger, bureaucrat, foreman, and administrator that he speaks of in his tales were all jobs that he actually held himself during his life.
Because of the myriad of people that Chaucer met in his life and the number of jobs he held in medieval society, he was able to witness unavoidable changes in the lives of many. His numerous and ever-varying experiences allowed him to accept the fact that nothing in life is permanent; nothing stays the same for ever; and nothing really matters in life except life itself…for your life is the only thing you truly possess. We can learn a lot from the sages of history because over the past 600 or so years we have really only evolved in the areas of industrialization, automation, and material possessions. Our bodies, hearts, and minds perform essentially the same as those of Geoffrey Chaucer and his contemporaries.
I wanted to leave you with the thought that no matter what relationships, loves, joys, possessions, or pastimes we might enjoy today, our lives might be completely changed tomorrow. No matter what expectations or needs we have of those we rely upon right now, those people might be only a vacant spot in our memories the next time we awake. Please enjoy the current moment; enjoy the people around you today; enjoy your life as it is in the present, because the past can never return and the future is only a part of your imagination. The past can help shape your present and future but your only reality is before you at this moment.
Life is what you make it, my Friends, and life is for living!
All the Best!
Wayne
Wayne Kehl is an expert in the field of employee engagment and personal development.