For Whom the Bell Tolls

© 2002 Boaz Rauchwerger

It’s a sunny Sunday morning in the lovely ancient city of Salzburg at the foot of the Alps. An early morning walk around town reveals that the people here take their Sundays seriously. Hardly anyone is out and about. It’s a nice departure from what we’re used to in the States, where every day of the week seems as busy as the next.

The quiet atmosphere is gently interrupted by the tolling of the bell from the clock tower of an ancient nearby church. Seven bells to delineate the current hour. No one moves. People aren’t rushing out of their homes. Cars aren’t heading for the freeways. Just a bell tolling as it has for hundreds of years.

There’s a single bell at the quarter hour, two at the half-hour and three bells at forty-five minutes past the hour. You can almost hear the echo from the bell as its ring bounces off the nearby forested cliffs.

As this Sunday evolves, the small cafes that line Linzer Gasse come to life. This ancient narrow street, named after the city of Linz in Austria, is a wonderful combination of small shops, quaint old hotels, cafes and the church with the bell tower. At the south end of the street is the Salzach River, which meanders through the middle of Salzburg.

The locals who frequent the outdoor cafes on Linzer Gasse seem to understand the pace that is set by the bells in the tower. They often gather with friends, and new acquaintances they make along the street, to drink coffee or a beer, to talk, and to laugh. They don’t appear to be in a hurry on this lovely Sunday. They listen intently to each other. They freely greet people walking by. They are really in the moment.

So, as I take in this peaceful Sunday scene on Linzer Gasse, and hear the ringing of the bell, I’m wondering how we can translate this atmosphere into our everyday lives? Do we really have to rush around as much as we do? Do we really have to turn so many things into stressful deadlines?

The next time you see your schedule full of more activities than you desire, let a bell toll in your mind. Let that bell remind you that life is short. Let that bell ask you if everything you have scheduled is absolutely necessary.

May that bell be a wake up call to get you off the merry-go-round and onto a more peaceful and fulfilling life. Prioritize your life and do the most important things first and quickly.

I used to live a very stressful life. I have now learned there’s a better way. I used to run a large company in a line of work that was not my passion. Due to circumstances beyond my control, every day was incredibly stressful there. I finally asked myself, “why am I doing this?” I finally decided that whatever potential gain was not worth the emotional price I was paying.

Thus, I started taking steps (small ones at first) to get back to my life’s passion – writing, high performance coaching and professional speaking. Now my life is much more peaceful and much more successful.

If you’ve gotten yourself into the trap of supporting a certain lifestyle through an occupation that is stressful and unfulfilling, CHANGE! If you only had six months to live, would you change? If the answer is YES, then you must do so NOW!

While you transition, do you need to live in as fancy a house, drive a fancy car, spend lavishly on entertainment? Why not lower your overhead and raise your contentment. I know it can be done. I’ve done it and so can you!

Learn to say NO to some of the demands others make of you. Focus on being a good, kind, loving person, husband or wife, parent or friend. However, control your time rather than letting it control you.

There are only a certain number of mornings left in your life in which you’ll have the opportunity to hear the bell toll. Only a certain number of days to spend the way you desire. The people in the cafes on Linzer Gasse in Salzburg, as they hear the bell toll, have just given you a wake up call.

An Affirmation that Rings a Bell

I’m now making every day count. I’m pursuing what I really want to do.