The late great philosopher Ram Das once said something to the effect of, “Every day, I wake up, and I go to school.” He must’ve been in his 50’s or 60’s at the time.

Ram Das was a smart man. Ph.D. level education. Harvard professor. Studied under some of the greatest spiritual teachers of his time. Wrote many books. Gave many lectures. Probably made a nice stack of cash.

On the flip side, he was fired from Harvard. His family and friends would pass away around him. He suffered a near fatal stroke, leaving him totally dependent. He would go on to say, “The stroke was giving me lessons, and I realized that was grace—fierce grace.”

Each and every day Ram Das woke up and went to school. He never graduated. He never made it. He never viewed his life as over while he was still alive. He never gave up on learning. He just kept going to school.

Even very late into his life, he maintained this perspective. He stated, “Now, I am aging. I am approaching death. I’m getting closer to the end. Now, I really am ready to face the music all around me.”

If you’re human, you know how it is. It’s as if we have these check points in life that possess the illusion of finality.

In one direction, there’s the illusion of “my life is all set now!” In the opposite direction, there’s the illusion of “it’s all over now!” Here are some examples. Some are clearer than others as to what category they belong to. Graduations. Landing a job. Promotions. Marriage. Having children. Layoffs. Retirement. Divorces. Injuries. Diagnoses. Deaths of loved ones. And on it goes.

But what happens next? You eventually go to sleep and wake up the next morning, right?

How one experiences that next morning and the many mornings to come depends. And here is where the wisdom of Ram Das comes into play. Those who continue to wake up and go to school both succeed and suffer with grace. They remain curious, open, and as a result, keep learning.

Maybe it’s worth embracing Ram Das’s message and making it a part of how we do life—no matter what happens.