Sam Berns was diagnosed with the rare aging disease progeria at just two years old, but what he accomplished and shared with the world until his untimely passing at age 17 will stick with us forever. Sam’s life was profiled in an HBO documentary, Life According to Sam, and when you watch Sam, you can’t help but learn from his positive spirit. When asked what the most important thing was that people should know about him, Sam said, “That I have a very happy life.”
In this video, Sam shares the three secrets to his philosophy for a happy life. His first is “Be OK with what I ultimately can’t do, because there’s so much that I can do.” Sam liked to focus on his passion for scouting, music, comic books, and Boston sports teams, among other things, because these were things that he could put in the “can-do category.”
Sam’s second secret to happiness is “Surround yourself with people you want to be with.” He was happy to earn his spot on the school’s marching band and to share such great experiences with the friends he made. He explained, “I feel like I’m at my highest point when I’m with the people that surround me every day. They provide the real positive influences in my life, as I hope I can provide a real positive influence in theirs as well.”
The third secret is to “keep moving forward.” It doesn’t have to be something big, but have something to look forward to that makes you happy. As Sam said, “So the bottom line here is that I hope that you appreciate and love your family, love your friends, for you guys love your bros, acknowledge your mentor and your community. Because they are real aspects of everyday life that can make a truly significant, positive impact.”
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