We’re all Dying!
“Oh no! Your Uncle/Auntie/Cousin/Sibling has just gotten diagnosed with cancer.” News we never want to hear. Hearing someone we know or love is dying soon, or has died often throws us off our axis for a few hours or days. We get shocked or shook when someone in our town or suddenly dies. However the reality is that- we’re all dying too. Death waits for no one, and death comes when we least expect it. It’s just the reality.
Preparing for death begins with acknowledging it
Preparing for death all starts with acknowledging that yes, one day, we will all die. Ignoring death doesn’t do anything but rob us of the time to prepare for death. Since it is the inevitable, it’s necessary to talk about death. If you are a parent, talk to your children about death. As a friend, talk to friends about death. As a leader, encourage conversations about death. You may need to make your own preparations before hand. For example, consider about your end-of-life wishes. You may even want to gamify it for family or friends night! Play a pen game, and each person picks a death/death related topic from a hat or bowl to talk about. It makes for meaningful conversations! For example, some of the topics could be:
- How do you envision your funeral?
- Who don’t you want to see when you’re on your death bed?
- Where would you like to die?
- How would you like to die?
- Who do you want around you when you’re dying?
- Do you have any end of life wishes you want everyone to know?
- What 5 things do you want to do before you die?
- Is there anyone you need to talk to before dying?
- If you were dying tomorrow, what would you want to tell us?
Prepare your own death wishes
It’s a great exercise to answer at least some of the questions mentioned above. After I prepared my Advanced Care Directive, I also wrote down some of my wishes and words I would like my husband to send to specific people (assuming I die before him). I will not lie- I shed tears during the process. However, the whole process of going through some of these practical steps of preparing for death has definitely changed my life. I try my best to live in a way that if I died today, I would not regret anything. It has made life so much more meaningful. Problems and dramas do not bring me down the way they used to. Life is simpler and more fulfilling.
Tim McGraw has a nice song called “Live Like You Were Dying.” However, there are deeper aspects of preparing for death than just living this life.
Aham Brahmasmi ~ there is no need to be scared of dying
Ancient yoga teaches that we are not these ever-changing physical bodies, and instead are eternal spiritual beings temporarily embodied. Take a minute or two to digest the information. What relief it brings! Just consider, since we are not our bodies, then we do not need to be afraid of getting old. Our bodies will die but we will remain alive. Realizing this brings so much relief from the freedom of death.
Let me know if you have any feedback or questions. I would love to hear from you!
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