He dies slowly…

Who does not travel,
Who does not read,
Who does not listen to music,
Who does not enjoy himself.

He dies slowly…
Who destroys his self-esteem,
Who refuses the help of others.

He dies slowly…
Who becomes a slave of habit,
Repeating the same trajectory everyday.
Who will not change brands,
And dare not change the colour of his clothing.
Who will not converse with whom he does not know.

He dies slowly…
Who is afraid of passion
And the whirlwind of emotion,
That will return light to the eyes
And restore a broken heart.

He dies slowly…
Who does not change course when he is unhappy
At work or in his love-life,
Who will not take risks to pursue a dream,
Who will not, even once, take a chance.

Take a chance!
Live!
Do it today!
Don’t let yourself die slowly!
Don’t keep yourself from being happy!

- Pablo Neruda (poem translated from Spanish)