Death

Death is not the end
Death can never be the end. Death is the road.
Life is the traveller. The Soul is the Guide  – Rumi

Ask yourself.  Do I fear death? I did for a long time until death faced me.

We would like to believe that death won’t find us. That if we are always on the move and constantly busy we will be okay.  I think that we tell ourselves, Im living a good life so why would death come knocking at my door?

After my first brush with death, I had to face that not only was my 9 year old son not immuned from death, but none of us were.  I realised that my time here on earth was very limited and fragile and that I needed to use my time wisely.  I began to question all my decisions in life and asked myself, “What was important to me now”?

We need to stop making excuses about change and avoiding that decision in our life that we continually postpone.  Making a move on a career change, spending quality time with the children, rather than squeezing another hour at work or taking the holiday that you have always wanted or forgiving a family member you have been angry at for years.

Why do we think that death won’t face us?  I think if we did know it may come at any moment, then we would live differently.

It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.  Elisabeth Kübler-Ross    Death

It seems only on our death-bed or a family member’s death-bed that we start to reflect on our actions in life and how we have treated ourselves and each other.  Knowing our vulnerability, we can begin to see the big picture of life and realise there is more than our ego to worry about.

Once we are awake to our immortality, don’t let fear ease in.  Don’t let the mind dwell on thoughts of how life may end for us or our family, or how we are running out of time.  Don’t let busyness be the distraction to avoid what we know is true.

Learn to slow down and become still.   Silence and meditation will start to show you how you are living your life and this at times is very confronting.  Work through each fear as it arises and learn to trust in a different process.  Confront the unknown we all have to face and don’t wait until your death-bed to see how life could have been different for you.

Waking up this morning, I smile,      
Twenty four brand new hours are before me.     
I vow to live fully in each moment     
and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.  Thich Nhat Hanh