http://joakimolofsson.deviantart.com/art/Mountain-Castle-272645944

16/02/2016 

Commonly we hear people say “You have to be strong”!
Someone died? You have to be strong.
An accident happened? You have to be strong.
Disease knocked at your door? You have to be strong!
I don’t know if this line is the new fashion now, all I know is that is very frequent to hear it. A few years ago I read something that made me smile; a poem of Fernando Pessoa (a Portuguese poet and writer) where he speaks about life. (If you don't understand Portuguese, please click the English flag and it will translate for you. The mistakes are not relevant; they don't alter its structure). He ended up the poem saying "Rocks in the way? I keep them all; one day I'll build a castle!" This sounds like water in the desert! After all, who doesn't have problems in their life?

Fernando Pessoa – Pedras no Caminho

Posso ter defeitos, viver ansioso e ficar irritado algumas vezes,

Mas não esqueço de que minha vida

É a maior empresa do mundo…

E que posso evitar que ela vá à falência.

Ser feliz é reconhecer que vale a pena viver

Apesar de todos os desafios, incompreensões e períodos de crise.

Ser feliz é deixar de ser vítima dos problemas e

Se tornar um autor da própria história…

É atravessar desertos fora de si, mas ser capaz de encontrar

Um oásis no recôndito da sua alma…

É agradecer a Deus a cada manhã pelo milagre da vida.

Ser feliz é não ter medo dos próprios sentimentos.

É saber falar de si mesmo.

É ter coragem para ouvir um “Não”!!!

É ter segurança para receber uma crítica,

Mesmo que injusta…

Pedras no caminho?

Guardo todas, um dia vou construir um castelo…

So, we all are collecting stones to build our own castle. When someone hurt us, we close ourselves and keep that stone close to hundreds of others. And so, stone by stone, we begin the construction of our fortress. People encourage us to do it and we feel happy. But, if you give me your permission, instead of building a castle why don’t you build a bridge? The stones are as useful as before and you won’t be isolated from the world.

You think I don’t know that every time someone hurts you, it causes a wound and, once healed, the scar remains there forever? The question you have to ask yourself is: “HOW WILL THE CASTLE HELP ME?”

Of a sudden, you may be tempted to say: "NO ONE WILL HURT ME ANYMORE” and you are right, but just half-right. You know, a castle needs a kingdom, without one it is nothing! I see so many castles; they are just fortifications keeping their owners arrested. They actually avoid you to be hurt by others, but they will also keep you away from the good things. If you refuse to come out because the rain will wet you, you'll lose the sunny days too. Just because some people hurt you, it does not mean everyone will. Some definitely will, but not all!

So, what I am proposing you is, instead of building a fortress, build a bridge! Every time people hurt you, start walking through that bridge. At some point, you will decide whether you come back or not. A bridge works in two senses, unlike the castle. Whilst this one keeps everyone safe (nevertheless isolated), the bridge connects people; it leads to somewhere!

The wounds heal better uncovered; they need sun and air did you know?!

So, right now, if I say to you “Be strong” what do you think that means?

Do you think it means to be made of steel?

Perhaps a kind of people bulletproof like an armoured car?!

Possibly you may think that my “Be strong” means nothing, that it’s only a sympathetic sentence...

I want you to be strong and have the courage to build a bridge instead of a castle. If you want to condemn a castle to death just destroy the bridge that connects it with the kingdom. Despite of being a majestic construction, it will end up killing everyone who is inside it. You don't want to be inside that castle... at least, so I hope!