"…only by facing death will we come to a deeper realization of who we are."
~ Eckhart Tolle
...so why not face death now?
Why continue to cover yourself with materiality and hide behind masks, only to realize later in life that this behavior was completely unnecessary and even damaging to you and the people around you?
You do not need to be on your death bed to "know" that those who are closest to death are often the closest to life. People who know they are dying often give away their worldly possessions and realize how nearly all of their material things, as well as their anxieties, fears, and challenges in life, were nothing more than illusion.
But why not recognize thus illusion now, when you can put the wisdom to use for the remainder of your life, rather than in its final moments? The only thing that keeps illusion alive is the failure to recognize it...
"It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it." ~ Seneca
I recently read an article where a nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed in a book about her experiences. The nurse worked in Palliative care, which is similar to hospice, where the patients under medical care have severe illness and many are nearing the ends of their lives. The number one most common regret of the dying is I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
The nurse shared that the dying often look back on life with amazing clarity:
When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
Ironically, the so-called "world of the living" is actually the land of the dying because physical well-being lulls people into a false sense of spiritual well-being. In different words, it is too common to remain unconscious to the life that is happening in the present moment because dreams and plans are always in the future. And thus, when people have their health, they do not fully appreciate or take advantage of it and act as if they will live for a thousand years.
In my forthcoming book, there is an entire chapter dedicated to death and the importance of consistently and frequently reflecting on your own mortality. This idea can be captured where I urge the reader "...if you do not embrace the thought of your own literal death, you may be already figuratively dead."
"If we could see how regret clouds our reasoning, decisions, and spiritual insight, we would decide to release what we cannot change and make peace with ourselves." ~ James Van Praagh
I'm also currently reading Unfinished Business: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Life
Whether or not you believe in mysticism or the paranormal, the lessons are still valuable. If you could speak with someone you love who has passed away, what do you think they would tell you now? Or if you could listen to your future, dying self, what advice do you think you might give your present self?
Will you follow this advice now?
-----------------------------------------
Related:
