From the Book: Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Part 21. Imagine Yourself at Your Own Funeral
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21. Imagine Yourself at Your Own Funeral
This strategy is a little scary for some people but universally effective at reminding us of what's most important in our lives.
When we look back on our lives, how many of us are going to be pleased at how uptight we were? Almost universally, when people look back on their lives while on their deathbed, they wish that their priorities had been quite different. With few exceptions, people wish they hadn't "sweated the small stuff" so much. Instead, they wish they had spent more time with the people and activities that they truly loved and less time worrying about aspects of life that, upon deeper examination, really don't matter all that much. Imagining yourself at your own funeral allows you to took back at your life while you still have the chance to make some important changes.
While it can be a little scary or painful, it's a good idea to consider your own death and, in the process, your life. Doing so will remind you of the kind of person you want to be and the priorities that are most important to you. If you're at all like me, you'll probably get a wake-up call that can be an excellent source of change.
What Will They Have To Say About You When You’re Gone?
My Uncle passed away several years ago, and at the funeral I clearly remember how I felt when a speaker said: “while we’re alive, we have the opportunity to write our own eulogy”. I was moved by that because it’s a simple notion that is very true.
Writing our own eulogy is definitely not a warm and fuzzy thought that we’d want to have on a regular basis, but it’s one we should consider from time to time. This exercise is not literally about writing your own eulogy, but living the kind of life that we’d be pleased to hear being read at our funeral.
Such an activity can help us to put life into a better perspective and understand what’s really important.
When we’re young we think we’ll live forever so we tend to be a little more reckless. As we get older, we begin to realize that we are not immortal, so it makes sense to be aware that life is short. By realizing this, hopefully we can spend our time more wisely on what matters most along with the people that will bring us the most joy, ya dig?
~Matthew
Food for Thought…
I’ve always been impressed with the lifestyles of The Ancient Egyptians because they spent most of their lives preparing for their death. They started work on their tombs and burial sites early on in their life and continued on until their death.
Can you imagine living an Ancient Egyptian lifestyle? What if all Americans lived such a lifestyle? What kind of things would be dramatically different about this country? What would probably be the same? What would our biggest worries be? What kind of things would give us the most joy?
Let’s make today a great day and and Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.
