Tecumseh's Wisdom

Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about his religion.

Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home. -- The Teaching of Tecumseh

This is verse which I feel is wisdom embodied. I believe that much of what is wrong with the world could be remedied with a bit of review when we turn the mirror toward ourselves and look deeply at what we see. Look deeply at how we act. How we live.

Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

The fear of death is universal. But you can face this inevitable conclusion of our body’s earthly existence fearlessly by pushing it from your heart. If the heart is filled with hopes, there is no room for fears.

Trouble no one about his religion.

This is one of the most difficult concepts for me to grasp. There is rarely a belief system out there that is totally inclusive of others. We tend to be so often the sheep depicted in the Christian Bible that endlessly wander without guiding principles and leaders. But look closely at those principles and leaders and dissect them to find if the core of the essence is one of inclusivity or exclusivity. The golden rule of “Do unto others…”, apply it to your life! 

Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.

I have always thought everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Differing viewpoints cannot be viewed as negative viewpoints. Learn from differing and opposing opinions. Do not judge that I think you are wrong because I don’t agree. And I will not think you wrong to bring your own opinions to the table. I will not assume anything.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Your life doesn’t have to be perfect but it is the only one that we get to do anything with. Make those anything’s everything and make sure that there is a shine to them.

Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.

Who needs you more than others? The family, friends and strangers in need all benefit when you are able to open your life to them. I often hear that the ones with the most at the end win. But what will the ones left behind remember you for. Your sacrifice, your devotion to others, your money?

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Let your death song be your life. Let others remember the composition of your existence.

Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.

I joke with a friend that when we fall on bad times, we both know that at least one of us will always wave as we go by the other pushing a shopping cart down by the riverfront. But I know it is more than that. It is the universal recognition of humanity and our ultimate connection to it that gives us Mother Teresa’s, Martin Luther King and the scarred and wounded soldiers that served their country. Remember that we know not what form that our God may walk in.

Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

We all deserve our dignity and should strive to build a place where all can find a safe haven to discover theirs. 

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.

Be glad you woke up on the right side of the sod each day. The obituaries are filled with those that crossed over from living to death.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

This is an under-appreciated joy in America. We have such a plentiful food supply and the riches to obtain it that we end up taking it for granted. My own wife still has to remind me often to slow down and be mindful of my eating. To taste the food that goes in my mouth, and will energize my body.

If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Think about what you were last grateful about. Now think about the last time you thought about what you were grateful about. It has been a while I would bet. And don’t think that there are only big things to be grateful for. How about the fact that you are loved by someone for no other reason thab you are you?

Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

Alcohol is not firewater. Firewater is a fuel that destroys and is more a misuse of a substance than being a specific substance. Firewater can be alcohol, but it could be violent video games, drugs or physical violence. Are we doing things that rob our spirit of joy?

When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Look back without regrets. Seek out what fascinated your life and tie a flag to it so when times get tough and you feel lost, you may draw strength from seeing it blown about by the wind of your life force. Let those you will be leaving do the weeping for it is their place to mourn. The day you die should be truly “A good day to die.”

Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

Your death song could be your life. Write that song now.