Face Death to Experience Freedom

Facing death brings a different type of freedom. It’s not the type of freedom that makes you do crazy things. It’s a much deeper, more meaningful type of freedom. One that helps you let go of grudges that have weighed you down. This freedom allows you to love and care for others. Not expecting anything in return. One that allows you to actually live. That’s right- most of us are supposedly “alive” but aren’t actually alive. We’ve allowed ourselves to be held back by so many people. Things – we even let things hold us back! Or we let problems weigh us down. Or, our very fear of death keeps us from actually living. It’s almost unfathomable to know that holding on to all those things was unnecessary.

Here are three practical ways to face your fear of death:

1. Do a “death assignment.” Imagine you’ve just gotten the dreaded news. You have a terminal sickness. Your time has been cut short. What would you want to do with your remaining time?
2. Do a life review. Is there anything in your life that you are unhappy about? Are there things you’ve wanted to do but haven’t yet done? Is there someone you’ve wanted to talk to but haven’t yet? It may sound cliche, but life is short. Death can come suddenly and quickly. Why wait? We don’t all have the luxury of time. Doctors and nurses who work in the ER all say this- they’ve learned to appreciate how death can come so suddenly. But, this has helped them appreciate what really matters and not sweat the small stuff.
3. Talk about death with your loved ones (and friends!) Talking about death is necessary. We are all eventually going to face death. It’s time to take down the taboos around talking about death. Make an advanced care directive. Write down your wishes about how you would like to die. Make sure people know about your wishes. The more people know about what your wishes are, the more likely your wishes will be followed.