The book “Tuesdays with Morrie," by Mitch Albom is a book that changed my life. Before reading this book I had no direction and was just going through life, letting moments pass me by. I can honestly say that back then I wasn’t all there. I was angry a lot of the time, never really had much to look forward to and was stuck in a pit. Looking back now I can’t even believe that was me.

I had no direction at all and wasn’t really focused on school or my future. I questioned myself, "What is my purpose in life?" "What am I doing?" "Where do I see myself tomorrow, next year, 10 years from now?" This book taught me how to find my purpose, enjoy the little things in life and not take anything for granted. The main character influenced me greatly. His development really made me think about the direction that my life was going and how things would end for me. Morrie’s struggle with his health had a very jarring effect on me.

Morrie taught me to think positively even in what seems like the most dire of situations. Impending death has a way of changing a person’s mindset and allowing them to take stock of their life until the point of learning that they’ll die soon. It creates an appreciation and I’ve learned from this book not to wait until it’s too late to start appreciating what you have and the true beauty that lies within life and its experiences. Even seemingly simple things like nature and the weather are things to enjoy. I learned that even if I was to focus on my future that life is so much more than just school and that big test that has you stressed out, work, and money which was Mitch’s thought process and sadly is the thought process of many in today’s world. Life is about giving that helping hand and impacting the world and people one day at a time.

To me this book taught me that the meaning of life is to care for others and to learn and improve every single day, to be a better person than I was yesterday. Most people either live in the past or are too worried about the future, taking a minute to live in the present is very important. “Take time to stop and smell the roses” sounds very cliché but is immensely profound. I learned not only to improve myself and my mentality but to improve my interactions with others as well. "Tuesdays with Morrie" taught me the importance of forgiveness and not having to live with regrets of past actions that I could have fixed.

I don’t want to say too much because I might slip and give away some important aspects of the story. This book is most definitely a must read for everyone no matter where you are in your life or in the world. Everyone will take away something different from this narrative but in the end, I can promise that it will help you and you will not end the book being the same person that started it. "Tuesdays with Morrie" is an excellent addition to your collection of books and even if you’re not an avid reader, this book is still worth it. It will keep you involved and make you recall moments of your life. Make every moment of your life count. Live it well and live it freely and ultimately, the choice is up to you.