Dying Happy
Most people don’t like words like ‘die’ and ‘death’. Some even hesitate to read anything with the word ‘die’ in the title, fearing that somehow something bad might happen. Still, it is a fact that we will all die eventually and that our time on earth is limited. Regardless of the age we are at, death sits nearby. When we were young, we may feel that death is a distant and far-off reality, but the truth is death is always close at hand. Death does not favour only the aged and terminally ill, it also likes the young and strong.
To be able to die happy, we must know how to live wisely. To live wisely, we must recognise the two fundamental truths of a human life. The first is that we have a limited and undefined amount of time – it may be 100 years, it may be 30. The second is that in that limited and undefined amount of time, we have an almost unlimited number of choices of how to use our time – the things we choose to focus on and put our energy into – the choices that will ultimately define our lives.
We are all born with no manual attached and the clock begins ticking the moment we arrive. We learn how to live hands-on from those around us and it isn’t surprising that many of us model a lifestyle of those who shape our lives. Let’s consider for a moment the life that most of us lead: we get up in the morning, we do what we have to do for the day, if we’re lucky we get some time to relax or do something fun, if we’re even luckier we get some time to spend with loved ones. And this repeats itself in endless variations until we get old. What happens then? We look back on our lives years later, we wish we’d done certain things differently or wish we’d accomplished something. But after a certain point, it’s a bit too late.
I’ve always searched for the ‘secrets’ to living a purposeful and fulfilling life as I wouldn’t want to look back in regret for the life that I might have lived. Many of us stumble through the journey of life, learning as we go, eventually discovering what matters. Often we discover wisdom when we are old, when most of our life is behind us, when it is too late to act on what we have learnt. What if we could discover the secrets of a happy and meaningful life before we are old?
I do not believe that we have to wait till we are old to become wise. To me the secrets to life are all around us, we witnessed them in the lives of others, those who have found what we are seeking.
In my pursuit, I discover that there are two main components to a purposeful and fulfilling life. The first is to live life awake, keeping track of where we are heading and living the life that we want. I believe in being true to myself and following my heart to do what matters to me rather than to somebody else. Whenever I hear remarks like, ‘My life will be meaningless without…’ or ‘I can’t live without …’, I can’t help but wonder if these people are living for themselves or for their loved ones. Will their lives really become worthless when their love affairs end? Will they be really happy if they live the lives that their lovers have chosen for them?
The second element is simply to live the moment and that means we must not focus on the past or the future but to experience each moment with gratitude and purpose. It means we recognise that we have the power in each moment to choose contentment and happiness. It means to judge life less and to enjoy it more. Every day is a gift, thus, we shouldn’t let each day go unappreciated but should count each day as a separate life.
We need to make sure that we are living our life rather than simply planning our life. It we are not careful, we will find ourselves forever doing things that we think will bring us happiness. We may find ourselves continually telling ourselves that we will be happier ‘if…’ or that we will be happy ‘when…’. It is not that we should not plan or yearn for things that we have not yet to achieve or experience, but rather that happiness is always found when we are able to live in the present moment. Why delay happiness to the future when we can enjoy it in the present?
I’m glad to have found the secrets to dying happy and to be able to share the secrets before it’s too late. Are you ready to die happy?
02:02
Comments:
Post a Comment