“For some reason I can’t explain, I know St. Peter won’t call my name. Never an honest word but that was when I ruled the world.” - Chris Martin (Coldplay), from Viva La Vida

Christians believe St. Peter, who was one of the twelve original Disciples of Christ, stands in front of the gates to heaven and is charged with the responsibility of announcing, upon our deaths, who is entering heaven and who is not.

The belief is we are not guaranteed a spot in heaven – we have to earn it. Only upon hearing our names called, are our souls allowed to enter into a blissful eternity.

How we live our lives, how we love the ones closest to us, the honesty we demonstrate and the choices we make all determine if we will be included on St. Peter’s list (or some other list for that matter). Conscious self-examination is needed on a daily basis otherwise we run the risk of missing out on something wonderful.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, and even in the absence of any spiritual connection or association, each one us has the responsibility of leaving this world in a little better condition than how we found it. This is because we are all a part of the human condition.

Brother looking after brother and sister looking after sister helps to ease the pain, suffering, oppression and disappointment we experience. To continue to live, exist, and survive in this world, and in the next world, humans need one another.

There are many places we can look to find the code, the answers, we need when its time to pass from this life to the other. However, as complex as life gets at times, the best answers can also be the least complicated.

In the book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, author Robert Fulghum provides a blueprint for this simplification and helps me to paint some context for how I want to live my life so I will hear St. Peter call my name.

Share Everything. Yes, share the cookies and the toys, but also share your experiences, your fears, your accomplishments your love and your heart. Others will benefit from what you have learned.

Play Fair. Remain honest and tell the truth. Seek opportunities for mutual gain with the people in your life. Lift others up and be mindful of their needs as well as your own.

Don’t Hit People. Violence and aggression are only temporary measures to get someone’s attention and obedience. True and lasting respect is earned by listening and responding appropriately. None of us have the right to force our will upon someone else’s.

Put Things Back Where You Found Them. Respect what belongs to others. Care for the things you have in your life and watch them continue to grow and flourish.

Clean Up Your Own Mess. Take 100% responsibility for your actions. We are responsible for the decisions we make and we are accountable to our family and friends for our words and deeds.

Don’t Take Things that Aren’t Yours. Honor the boundaries set by others. Don’t claim ideas or thoughts that are not your own. Allow love to happen naturally. If it goes away, don’t grasp it so tightly you damage, or kill its spirit or potential to love again.

“Goldfish and hamsters and white mice even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.” – Robert Fulghum

Say You’re Sorry When You Hurt Somebody. Be humble and show regret when appropriate. Ask for forgiveness and allow your soul to be cleansed by the healing it offers.

Warm Cookies and Cold Milk are Good for You. Take good care of yourself. Fill yourself up with what gives you the most energy and the most passion. Self-care is just as important as caring for everyone else in your life – you are just as worthy to receive the warmth it provides.

Live a Balanced Life. Work hard and play hard, too. Follow your heart’s desire while you provide the basic necessities.

When You Go out into the World, Watch out for Traffic, Hold Hands and Stick Together. Life is meant to be shared. You have the responsibility to watch over others and to help keep them warm and safe. The human bond, the human connection, requires this from us.

Like everyone else, I not sure how much time I have left. Rather than living with fear or regret, I choose to embrace each day and live each day to its fullest the best that I can. Along the way, however, I’m preparing and getting ready for my eventual reality.

When the moment arrives my hope is I won’t be waiting anxiously to hear if St. Peter calls my name. Instead, I will walk in the direction of his voice. Upon hearing my name, I will stop before going any further. I will take a brief moment to acknowledge my efforts and the efforts of others. I will say a quick prayer of thanksgiving as my soul evaporates into the light to begin its next journey.

Life does continue for all of us. We don’t have to rule the world to make certain this happens; we just have to remember to take care of each other along the way.

“其中緣由我不能講明，我深知圣彼得不會喚我姓名。從未聽過只字真言，但那就是我主宰世界的年月。——克里斯·馬丁（coldplay網），來自歌曲《生命至上》

基督教徒們相信基督最初的十二弟子之一圣彼得就站在通往天堂的門口。他負責宣布人們死后能否進入天堂。

但是天堂里沒有給我們預留位置——我們必須通過努力去爭取。只有我們的名字被呼喚，我們的靈魂才能進入永恒的極樂世界。

如何生活，如何去愛與我們最親近的人，我們所表現出來的正直以及我們所做的選擇都決定著我們能否有幸進入圣·彼得的名單（或者其他一些類似的名單）。自覺地對每天做的事情自我反省是必要的，除非我們不害怕失去生命中的精彩部分。

不管你的宗教信仰如何，甚至即使你沒有心靈寄托和宗教信仰，我們每個人也都有責任讓這個世界比我們來時更美好。這是因為我們每個人都是人類社會的一部分。

兄弟姐妹的互相關心照顧能減輕我們所承受的疼痛和苦難，排遣我們所經歷的壓抑和失望。為了繼續生在，存在，活在這個世界乃至下一個世界上，人類相互需要。

我們可以在很多地方找到生活不斷變化時需要的規則和答案。然而，即使生活變得越來越復雜，對生活的最佳解釋可以最為簡單。

在《學會在幼兒園》 一書中，作者Robert Fulghum為這種單純的生活描繪了一幅藍圖，這幅藍圖為我提供了怎樣對待生活才能有幸進入天堂的相關信息。

分享一切。是的，不僅僅是餅干和玩具，還有你的經歷，你的恐懼，你的成就，你的愛，以及你的心靈，從而使他人從你學到的事物中有所收獲。

公平公正。保持正直說真話。尋求能讓你和身邊的人都能互惠互利的機會。鼓勵他人，以關心自己之所需之心去關心他人之所需。

不壓迫他人。暴力和侵略只是一時吸引他人注意和迫使他人順從的卑劣手段。而真實和永久的尊敬來自于真誠的聆聽和適當的回應。

把物品歸還原處。尊重屬于他人的東西。關心你生命中的事物，看著它們不斷的成長壯大。

收拾自己的爛攤子。百分百為自己的一切行為負責。我們要為自己做的決定，家人，朋友，以及說出去的話，做過的事情負責。

不帶走篡奪不屬于自己的東西。尊重他人所劃的權限。不要大聲發表那些不屬于你的觀點和思想。讓愛自然地發展。愛若不再，不要緊抓不放以致傷害或殺害了愛的靈魂，或以致于毀掉再次相愛的可能。

“把金魚，田鼠，白鼠，甚至是小種子放入聚苯乙烯杯里----它們都會窒息而死。我們也一樣。”-----Robert Fulghum

傷害了他人要表達歉意。要謙遜，適當地表示抱歉。請求寬恕，讓你的心靈因寬容的恩賜而純凈透明。

暖餅冷奶有助于身體健康。好好照顧自己。用那些能給你很多能量和激情的東西把自己的肚子填得滿滿的。關心自己和關心你生命中的其他人一樣重要---那些溫暖，你受之無愧。

生活要有張有弛。瘋狂工作也要盡情玩耍。生活必需品不愁時就跟著感覺走。

外出時注意交通安全，手牽手緊相隨。生命意味著分享。你有責任關注他人，讓他人感受到溫暖和安全。人類的凝聚力，人們之間的關系需要我們這么做。

和其它任何人一樣，我不知道自己還能活多久。我選擇擁抱每一天，盡我之所能最充分地利用每一天，而不是帶著恐懼和遺憾虛度余生。然而，一路上我也在為那最終的現實做著準備。

那個時刻到來時，我希望我不是焦慮地等待圣·彼得呼喚我的姓名，而是循著他的聲音走到他面前。聽到了自己的名字后，我將稍作停頓才繼續前行。我將簡短地回顧一下我為自己和他人付出的努力。我將迅速做個感恩的祈禱，因為我的靈魂即將消失在那道開始它下一段旅程的光線。

我們每個人的生活都在繼續。我們不必掌控整個世界來確定事情是否發生；我們只要記住一路上要互相關心。