Embracing Being Mortal
As we gathered to bid our final farewell today to a family member, it brought home once again how sad, unpleasant and even scary death is. It’s no wonder we avoid thinking about death and shy away from speaking about it. We try to live in denial as we neither want to face death nor wish it to happen.
Could this be due to the digital revolution, combined with medical interventions and scientific breakthroughs, almost leads us to the possibility of an immortal future.
Some elders in the family imparted wisdom though difficult to digest: the only thing definite in life is death, and we can neither avoid nor fight it. As the conversation continued, he told us it’s not only important to remember this but to embrace death.
We usually think the time is infinite, and we have time for everything; we act as if we are immortal. Remembering and embracing mortality gives you a fresh perspective of life and alters your thinking. It makes you focus on what is essential.
It was the passing of a young life which reminded how we too often spend our precious time on things don’t matter, and people who barely contribute to anyone around them but themselves.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Steve Jobs
Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice. Most important is to have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
It makes you want to guard our most precious resource in life: TIME. It propels us to prioritise and eliminate distractions and live life with purpose. The wisdom of knowing our time here is finite creates an urge to seize each moment and make every fleeting day count in a meaningful way.
A few years before one of my friend’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. That diagnosis made a massive shift in her thinking as if there was a switch; she flicked to change her mindset instantly. This incident made me realise how so many of us wait for a terminal illness or loss of a dear one to understand how transient our life is. It’s often death that gives life urgency. How would you live if you know your deadline?
The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
Mark Twain
Instead of being busy with things which don’t count, create what you were born to create, write that note or the book, sing that song, take that trip with your soulmate, build that sandcastle with your child and live your DREAM.
In essence, our life is a vacation on this planet. Let’s make it count and leave an impression which adds value to people who encounter us. Living in the warzone and witnessing death and suffering taught me this early on. However, as years passed by, I became complacent, got into a routine and got side-tracked in the noise of others. Yesterday was a stark reminder of the only truth: we are on vacation. It brought the appreciation of what I have, brought humility and perspective.
Protect your sacred mental space rather than physical space. Protect your time more than your belongings and guard your personal space from intruders. Don’t let other’s opinion and demands and noise encroach into your life and drown your dreams or your destiny.
You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.
- How well are you living?
- How well are you letting go?
Originally published in LinkedIn on June 5, 2019
